Revenge and Redemption: Part I
by Jane Poirot
Summary: Ookami Kakushi, post Kaitou-hen: Over the course of a year, two enemies face their individual struggles-some with others, some with each other-on the biggest emotional roller coaster rides of their lives. Unbeknownst to them, a greater threat to Jougamachi is on a steady rise and will put their relationship to the ultimate test.
1. Overture

Disclaimer: "Ookami Kakushi" belongs to Ryukishi 07 and PeachPit. Also, as a second disclaimer, none of the song titles or song excerpts used in the chapter titles or chapters themselves are mine and belong to their respective owners. To those of you who may come across this story at the time of its completion, or even when it's just half-way there, if you are like me and have a habit of looking up the chapter titles, _**you could be spoiled.**_ You have been warned.

And now, without further ado, our presentation. Happy new year.

* * *

_A mixture of love and hatred raises the curtain of a new comedy._

_-Akiko Shikata, "When the Seagulls Cry: Purgatory"_

"Ice…coffee….ice…co….ffee…."

She had had better nights. This was not one of them. She smoothed out her blouse and put on her best smile. Tonight would be just another peaceful night at the Café Etranger, she would _not_ lose control this time…

Even with the old laws eradicated and new, progressive laws in their place, she could not afford to lose it…she couldn't…she mustn't…

That boy with the strong _mitsu_ was coming tonight. She could smell it from miles away. And he'd be bringing his friends along, too. One of those friends would be the Kushinada daughter. Hadn't those new laws been her ideas in the first place? But still…but still…

"Ice….co…..ffee…."

* * *

"Hey hey, Hiro-kun," Isuzu said, poking Hiroshi in the arm, the two of them taking a walk down the lit streets of Jougamachi, "what do you say we order a giant sundae and share it between the two of us, huh huh?"

"Suzu-chan," Kaname said, catching up with the two, "you must consider the rest of us. We'd all like a share of dessert, too."

"Yeah, and me, too," spoke up Hiroshi's younger sister, Mana, who rolled alongside the group.

"A sundae might be nice," Nemuru said, nodding. "But would sharing it be such a good idea?"

"Eh~, of course it would, Nemuru-ch~an," Isuzu chimed, skipping with each step. "It would bring us all closer together, right, Hi~ro-kun?"

"Ahahaha, right, Isuzu-chan," Hiroshi laughed nervously. But in spite of his embarrassment, he smiled as he looked around his group of friends. He hadn't expected to become so instantly popular with his classmates when he first moved to Jougamachi during the summer, nor did he expect to ever become friends with the one girl not enchanted by him, the one who informed him that his existence was annoying.

Of course, he also hadn't expected to learn about a new "species" of people called the "Kamibito" and why he was so desired by them for his honey-like scent, or to get caught up in not just a town war but also in a personal conflict between one of his friends and a man who…wasn't a friend. But that was one of the things he had come to learn and appreciate—that sometimes, life can be completely unexpected, and not all sudden curves and twists were bad. In the end, he had gained three, good friends out of it, and felt somewhat closer to his sister because of his trials, too.

Now, the five of them had made it to the Café Etranger. Nemuru opened the door and as her friends headed inside, she took a look around the café. Some of the Kamibito were mingling just fine with the "Ochibito"—or, "humans"—but there were others who looked a bit uncomfortable about having to sit with different people. It had been almost a month since the town war that nearly pulled everyone apart and while Nemuru was glad to see the residents of Jougamachi begin to move past it and become closer as though they were the same humans, she could tell that the changes wouldn't happen overnight.

She had hoped that the new, progressive laws she had instilled only a few weeks ago would dissolve some of the tension, but the system was still new. It would still be some time before she could see the effect it would have on other people.

Or so she thought.

* * *

In a corner booth sat Kaori Mana and Shunichirou Sakaki. She put on a bright smile as she looked over the items on the menu. He did not share the same smile, wishing instead that Kaori had taken him for another walk through the forest at this time of night. That way, he wouldn't have to be around so many…_people._

Or at least, he wouldn't have to be around so many Kamibito.

Still, Kaori herself was a Kamibito…and the only one whom he could stand, so…

Sakaki shifted in his seat. He had been released from the detention centre last week after Kaori had paid bail. Part of him felt bad for making her go through all that trouble, but the alternative would've been to call his mother. This would break her heart. The possibility that she would eventually find out had lingered in his mind, but as far as he was concerned, it was better to put it off for as long as possible.

"Sakaki-san," Kaori spoke, "are you sure you're comfortable with dining here? You look a little uncomfortable."

Her voice was like a blanket draped across Sakaki's shoulders. "It's fine," he said, not taking his eyes off the menu.

"You're not acting like it," Kaori said. She paused. "Sakaki-san…could it be you just don't like having to eat in the same restaurant as other Kamibito? Is that it?"

Sakaki stiffened. "It might be."

He detected a hint of disappointment in Kaori's sigh.

"Sakaki-san, please look at me," Kaori said.

Sakaki put the menu down and looked Kaori in the eye. Her lips were drawn and her eyes were soft but firm. "Sakaki-san," Kaori said, "I thought you were going to try being more accepting. You said so yourself, remember?"

"Ah, right, right," Sakaki muttered. "I didn't say it would happen overnight. Speaking of breaking bad habits, it has officially been two weeks since my last cigarette."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kaori said, though her expression did not change. "If only you could put the same effort in your behaviour towards the Kamibito." She paused. "Earlier, when one of the waitresses greeted us at the door, you took a few steps away from her."

"So?" Sakaki shrugged. "Maybe I just like my distance."

"Or maybe you didn't know whether she was one of 'them' or not," Kaori said.

Sakaki sighed and leaned on the table. "What do you want from me?" he said. "You know I'm not going to…do what I did last month. I already learned my lesson from that. It'll just take some time before I'm completely comfortable with this."

Kaori sighed and opened her menu. "I just wish it would take you _less_ time."

* * *

The young woman was nearly blinded by the wave of scents lingering in the air. So much honey…so much temptation…

"No, no, no," she muttered, wringing her hands together. "I mustn't…I mustn't…"

And then _he_ came by.

_That boy._

He was surrounded by his three female friends—one of them was clinging to him tightly, another was telling tales about Jouga's folklore, and the third was the Kushinada daughter, who carried herself with a calm composure, though she smiled slightly.

"I can do this," she muttered. "I can make it through the night…as long as I stay away from that table…"

"Yue-san!" her manager called out. "You're needed at Table 12!"

"Yes, yes!" she chirped. She walked briskly, trying to ignore the tempting smell of honey.

* * *

As the evening wore on, Sakaki found that sitting in the same room as these people wasn't so bad. He could sit and talk with Kaori and no one bothered them. Yet he could still sense Kaori's disappointment. Surely she didn't expect him to change over night!

Sakaki took a small sip of coffee. He put the cup down and said, "Do you think we should stay for dessert?"

"I'll have to wait a few more minutes," Kaori said as she pushed aside her half-eaten salmon. "I don't feel very hungry." She smiled, though it seemed like a forced one. "I'm afraid I overestimated how hungry I was."

"Take your time," Sakaki said. He stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom."

* * *

"…and thus, Meso Meso-san crushed her cruel tormentor to death and became a _youkai,"_ Kaname finished. She looked around the table with a mischievous glint in her eye. "So remember: If you hear someone wailing in the bathroom…it could be Meso Meso-san. And if you hear her…_don't answer."_

"Waaaah, how sca~ry!" Isuzu cried out as she hid her face behind a napkin.

"An amusing story, but Tsumuhana-san, you must remember that's all it is: A story," Nemuru said as she calmly sipped her tea.

"There's something I don't quite understand," Hiroshi said. "Is Higanbana a hero or a villain?"

"That's a good question," Kaname said as she took a sip of miso soup. "I suppose she might be a hero of sorts. Perhaps an anti-hero. Being a _good _person does not necessarily mean being a _nice _person."

"I guess that might be true," Hiroshi said. "Anyway, I need to go to the bathroom." He stood up. "I'll be right back."

He headed towards the rest rooms. Along the way, he tried to ignore the stares from the other customers. Even though no one had said anything in a while, Hiroshi could tell what they were all thinking: _This trouble is all because of you._

It made him think back to Nemuru's words to him on his first day of school:

"_Your existence is annoying. People like you come at times like this."_

Times like "this"…

Indeed, it had been an inconvenient time to show up. The failed Hassaku harvest…the rising conflict between the Kamibito and Ochibito…the troubles with Sakaki…

_Bump._

"Oh, uh, excuse—" Hiroshi began to say.

The words caught in his throat when he realized whom he had just bumped into.

"No, excuse _me,"_ Sakaki said, averting his eyes.

The two males stood in an awkward silence for several seconds before Hiroshi said, "You want to go first?"

"On second thought, I think I can wait until I get home," Sakaki muttered. He began to head back for his table.

* * *

"…just one more hour….I can do this…one…more…hour…" she muttered. She stood near the kitchen door, ready to collapse. The impulse had risen over the course of the night. Though she tried her best to restrain herself around the Ochibito customers, _that boy's_ presence made it harder.

How could she think straight when that oh-so delicious smell threatened to overtake her? How could she just carry on as if she didn't have the impulse to lose control?

"Enough of this," she muttered. "I'm leaving an hour early. I'm sure the boss will understand."

Just as she turned to find her boss, _that scent_ filled her nostrils once more...

* * *

"Well, _that_ was awkward," Sakaki muttered as he headed for his and Kaori's table. He stopped when he noticed a young waitress with her head hanged low. Under her breath, she whispered, "Ice coffee…we have delicious…ice coffee…"

"Yes, yes, I'll be sure to order some," Sakaki said. He looked over his shoulder. _Damn, she's one of 'them', isn't she? As long as I go slow, I can…_

"_IIIIICCCCEEEEEE COOOOFFEEEEE!"_

* * *

Time stood still yet moved quickly.

Sakaki barely had any time to take it all in.

The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back staring at the ceiling, his lips slightly wet with saliva.

Someone _else's_ saliva.

That girl…she had kissed him, hadn't she?

She was sobbing "What have I done?" over and over while the other employees came by to see what was wrong.

Footsteps.

Above him stood Kaori and..._Kushinada._

…_What? What just…what…_

"Get Yue-san and this man down to the centre immediately!"

"Yes, Master Kushinada!"

…_What happened to me?_

Through his shock, a voice in the back of his head spoke:

_I need a cigarette._


	2. Paint It Black

In his twenty-six years of working at Jougamachi's hospital (otherwise known as the "center" to residents), Dr. Nanjo had seen many, many patients with varying degrees of cooperation. Most lay still and waited for any procedures they needed to be over; others smiled and cooperated and endured whatever discomfort came their way; and then there were those who screamed and protested as though they were a child and begged to be let out.

Yet he had never had a patient quite like Shunichirou Sakaki.

Dr. Nanjo sorted out the papers on his clipboard, then lay it down on his desk. He pulled out the patient's file and looked through his medical history. No life-threatening conditions, no genetic disabilities that was known of…indeed, no wonder he hadn't taken very kindly to being told he now had Jacobson's Organ mutation syndrome. In other words, he was now a Kamibito.

When Dr. Nanjo had sat him down and told him all this, Sakaki's response was:

"What the hell!? That can't be right, that waitress was just crazy! I can't _possibly—_"

Yet in spite of his vehement denial and threats to sue the hospital for quackery, the blood tests, symptoms described, and the fact that Sakaki no longer possessed his former honey-like scent were all proof that he was indeed a Kamibito. The more he tried to convince Sakaki of this, the angrier he got, until he had to be knocked out with a sedative.

Granted, not everyone reacted to their Kamibito diagnoses calmly, and some chose to remain in denial, yet Sakaki's reaction had left Dr. Nanjo concerned. He had also heard that Sakaki was getting rather friendly with a female Kamibito who was helping him overcome his prejudices, but it was probably just a rumour. And even if it was true, prejudices weren't overcome instantly. After all, the citizens of Jougamachi still weren't entirely trustful of each other just yet.

Dr. Nanjo looked over at the calendar on his desk. Sakaki had been diagnosed two days ago. He was still in the confinement corridor, where all new Kamibito were sent to. The corridor was no longer forbidden now that the Kamibito's existence was exposed. It was now common knowledge that this wing of the center was used to both manage the symptoms of the transformation process and to help the individual adjust to their new state.

Both these tasks were easier said than done when applied to Sakaki.

There was a knock on the door. "Dr. Nanjo?"

Dr. Nanjo swivelled in his chair. "Master Kushinada? Yes, come in."

The door opened and in stepped Nemuru Kushinada. "It's good of you to come in at this time," he said.

"I tried to make it over as fast I could," Nemuru said as she closed the door behind her. As she stepped forward, her eyes shined over and she blinked. "Sorry," she apologized. "This used to be my uncle's office before…."

"I understand," Dr. Nanjo nodded. "Please take a seat."

Nemuru sat next to Dr. Nanjo. "So what are the reports tonight for the confinement corridor?"

"First of all, that poor young woman—Yui Yomoda, I believe—has been placed under confinement indefinitely," Dr. Nanjo said, flipping through the report on his desk.

"It really is a shame," Nemuru said, nodding. "I knew her as an otherwise sweet woman. But until those newer laws are passed through…"

Her voice trailed off. In the aftermath of the massacre, there was talk of eradicating the old, harsh laws and replacing them with new, progressive laws to deal with the Kamibito's problems more effectively. While many were in favour of these laws, there were still those who opposed them. So far, she had succeeded in passing a small handful of them, but still had a long ways to go before all of them could get through.

Now, any Kamibito who attacked the humans, or kissed a human, were to be taken straight to the center to undergo a medical examination. In an ideal world, the offender would be evaluated and then given the appropriate punishment according to how much of a threat they were to others. In some cases that Nemuru hoped would be rare, those who had lost complete and total control would be put out of their misery.

But until that was passed, for the time being the offender would be locked up indefinitely. And for the sake of gathering evidence to present a strong case to the Neighbourhood Association, Nemuru would make a weekly visit to visit one of the doctors at the center to discuss the condition of those confined. She planned on avoiding using any specific names to protect each individual's privacy.

"Masako Suzuki has been released and vaccinated," Dr. Nanjo went on, flipping through the pages. "Satoshi Umari has reported feeling a harsh impulse bubbling up, so he will be given a dosage of the treatment oil. And…"

He paused. "And then there's Shunichirou Sakaki."

Nemuru shifted in her seat. "Go on," she urged.

"I'm aware of your past history," Dr. Nanjo began, but Nemuru said, "Please. Any issues between me and him will be kept out of this conversation. Right now, he is just another new Kamibito."

"Right, well," Dr. Nanjo shifted through the papers. "As you would expect, he is adapting to his condition rather poorly. Or at least, I would assume he is. He has developed a very high fever. But we don't know if he's feeling anything beyond that. So far, he has remained silent."

"I see," Nemuru said. "Have you been down to see him?"

Dr. Nanjo shook his head. "No, I have not."

"Hmm," Nemuru pushed a strand of violet hair past her shoulder. "How badly do you need him to speak with you?"

"We'll certainly need to know if his impulse is strong or weak," Dr. Nanjo said. "That way, we can determine how soon he gets out and what kind of medication to give. Also, if he's feeling any additional discomfort, we'd like to make his stay a bit easier for him to alleviate the symptoms."

Nemuru paused before saying, "Dr. Nanjo, I think I know someone whom he might be willing to speak to, if I may give the appropriate permission for it. It's a young woman he often goes around town with…"

* * *

The walls were a fading light brown. Across from the bed were magazines, video games, and a TV. This cell had far more luxuries than a prison cell.

Yet despite this, Sakaki had no desire to look at any of them. All he wanted was to lie in bed and close his eyes. He shivered slightly, feeling as though he had walked for miles and miles. He barely felt hungry for anything, yet when he did he also felt like he was on a rocking ship.

For the past two days, every few hours or so, someone would come in, put on a fake smile, and ask, "How are you today, Sakaki-san?" And each time, he would roll over and stare at the wall, lacking the energy to even scowl.

So he had Jacobson's Organ mutation syndrome.

Which meant he was now a…..

His mind could not finish the sentence.

_Damn them,_ Sakaki thought. _Damn them all._

He blew air out his cheeks. He was now…one of them.

A….

Damn.

He couldn't even _think_ the word.

It wasn't _his_ fault that stupid waitress had terrible impulse control. How was _he_ supposed to know? He didn't even have time to _react,_ let alone _think. _Yet it was because of her that he was now here.

At the sound of footsteps, Sakaki closed his eyes. Goodie, another doctor. Just what he needed.

The footsteps stopped. "Sakaki-san?" said a male voice. "You have a visitor."

A visitor…?

It couldn't be…

He heard the key turned in the lock, a click, and then bars sliding back.

Footsteps followed.

"You have ten minutes," said the male voice.

"Yes, I understand," said a frail female voice.

_Kaori…_

But he didn't turn around.

"Sakaki-san…"

Sakaki continued to lie there. Then, he felt her soft hand on his shoulder. Now, he turned slowly to face her and opened his eyes. Kaori had a sad, pitiful look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry you're here," she said. "You shouldn't have had that happen to you. I can only imagine how hard this must be. But it's not as bad as you might think it is." She paused. "Being a Kamibito, I mean."

Sakaki tensed up. _Kamibito…._

"It's just an illness you'll have to make minor adjustments for," Kaori said. "That's all it is." She ran a soft, delicate finger across his forehead and gently brushed his bangs aside. "Poor thing. You feel so warm…but don't worry, this is only temporary. After this, things will be easier. As long as you have some Hassaku with your meals, you shouldn't feel too strong of an impulse. Your sense of smell will grow stronger, but once you adjust to it, it's not that bad. And…" She hesitated. "Your life span might be a bit shorter than humans, but I think you still have a couple more years before you'll begin to age."

Sakaki didn't care about this small detail. But to have Kaori here, to feel her touch, gave him a small feeling of hope. As long as he had Kaori by his side, maybe she could help him adjust to being a…a…a _Kamibito._

That's what he was now.

A Kamibito.

"So how do you feel?" Kaori asked.

Sakaki titled his head back. "Sore," he said. "Nauseous. Cold."

Kaori looked over her shoulder. "Do you want a magazine?"

"Yeah," Sakaki said. "A National Geographic might be nice."

Kaori walked over to the pile of magazines and sorted through them. Her long, soft, brown hair was done no justice in this lighting, but her bright face made up for it.

"Ah, here's one," she said. She walked back over with a magazine in hand. "This one has an article about geology. I hope you find it interesting."

Indeed, the cover boasted a picture of a layered, purple-and-gray geode on the cover. Sakaki flipped through the magazine. "Ah yes, geodes," he mused out loud. "Some rocks look so plain on the outside, but are true beauties on the inside."

_Hey…didn't I use that line on Mieko a few years ago? How pathetic._

Sakaki cleared his throat and closed the magazine. "Thank you, Kaori," he said.

Kaori looked over at the iron bars. "I should leave soon," she sighed. She began to stand up, but Sakaki wrapped his hand around her wrist and said, "Wait."

She turned to him. "Just…another minute or two," Sakaki said, wondering what had come over him.

Kaori smiled. "Of course."

She bent down next to him and the two spent the next few minutes chatting until it was time for her to leave.

* * *

Two men stood on the rooftop of the centre. They stood opposite each other in the dark, the pale of their faces only revealed by moonlight. Up until now, they had only exchanged letters. This was their first meeting in person. For a moment, neither dared to break the heavy silence.

At last, one of the two men spoke:

"Why did you ask for us to meet here?"

The other man folded his hands together. "Because," he said calmly, "I would like to discuss the location of this new company that I have founded."

The other man knew of this location, and now he dared to say it out loud:

"This very centre. But why?"

A soft chuckling. "Yes...why. I have my reasons-one of them being that for many people, this building is a symbol of security and dependence, and what could be a better image to build this company upon than that? And for more practical reasons, it also has a nice, convenient conference room for us to meet up in." He folded the corners of his jacket and puffed his chest out. "I will approach the Kushinada's with my business proposal tomorrow evening. If all goes well—and it should—I will begin searching for prospective employees. I already have a potential assistant in mind."

"And this man would be…?"

The other man had not been living in a cave. Having lived in Jougamachi for a short while only recently, he had been aware of the chaotic Hassaku festival, and the bloodshed that had very nearly engulfed the day. He was also aware of the two men behind it. For this reason, he was surprised to hear his companion reply:

"Shunichirou Sakaki."

"_Him?_ But—but wasn't _he_ the one who tried to kill _our _people? Does that mean _nothing_ to you?"

"Oh, of course, I'm not blind," the man assured him. "However, are you also not aware of his recent, shall I say, _transformation?"_

The other man gulped. His Adam's apple was nearly visible. "You don't mean to say he's one of _us,_ now?"

"My, aren't you sharp as a dull razor?" the man remarked dryly. "I have my means of finding out. I have yet to extract the full details, but suffice to say, this all plays out in our favour quite nicely. You see, Shunichirou Sakaki is a smart man, but he is not emotionally stable. When placed into the right state of mind, he is capable of doing anything for us if he is convinced it will get him one step closer to his revenge, even if he has to dig his own grave to do it."

"I see, I see…and should he learn the company's true agenda…?"

"I have my ways."

"And…as for Nemuru Kushinada…?"

"I will be meeting with her tomorrow to discuss the benefits of the company, and to persuade her that this will benefit the co-existence of the Kamibito and the Ochibito."

"How do you plan on doing _that?"_

"You will see. You will see….That will be all. We will meet again."

He waited for the other man's footsteps to fade before he took a step out into the moonlight. He gazed across the evening sky with a smirk. "Yes," he murmured, "Nemuru Kushinada and Shunichirou Sakaki will be my most valuable pawns indeed. Let the game of chess…begin."


	3. City Wind

A/N: In this case, "City Wind" (or "Machi no Kaze") is from the Ookami Kakushi anime OST: watch?v=5J3tWjxsxbM

* * *

The next day, Hiroshi, Isuzu, and Kaname waited outside the school building for Nemuru to emerge. Recently, the teachers had offered to teach the students various sports to build up their physique in case there was another unexpected massacre. The sport-of-the-week was dry land swimming. Today, Nemuru was staying behind a bit longer than usual.

Kaname pushed up the sleeve of her soft, wool sweater and looked at her wristwatch. "I wonder if this is what Nemuru-san really wants to do," she remarked. "She never really struck me as an athlete. Suzu-chan, did she ever say anything to you about sports?"

"Not really," Isuzu said. "But back when Hiro-kun was in the hospital…" The corners of her mouth turned down, but she switched her mind to other matters and went on: "Anyway, back when Hiro-kun was resting…back then…she _did_ mention that she was thinking of joining in the sports lessons. I don't remember her taking _this_ long to come out, though."

Just then, Nemuru burst through the doors. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," she said, panting slightly. "So...shall we go pick up Mana-chan and then go for some ice cream? I'll explain later."

* * *

"You're _quitting?"_ Mana said as the five of them sat down at a white table near the ice cream stand. "Why?"

They were in the middle of Jougamachi's shopping centre, which contained just about everything that anyone could need.

"Something else came up just recently, and I don't know if I'll have time for anymore school activities," Nemuru said. She dipped a spoon into her chocolate sundae, slid it into her mouth, and pulled it back out, spotless, before saying, "I spoke with the teachers about it, which is why I stayed behind today. You see...actually, let's just eat first. Then I'll tell you."

Isuzu slid over next to Hiroshi and said, "Want to share my banana split, Hiro-kun?"

"Eh, no thank you, Isuzu-chan," Hiroshi said with a nervous chuckle. He cried out when Isuzu clung to his arm and declared, "Hiro-kun, you _must_ have a small bite of my split, I insist!"

Hiroshi opened his mouth to object, and then found his mouth full with a mixture of bananas, vanilla ice cream, and strawberry sauce. Kaname laughed, "'Suzu-chan, you don't want to suffocate our poor Hakase-kun!"

Hiroshi chewed slowly on what was in his mouth, or at least tried, before Isuzu shoved another spoonful into his mouth again. As overwhelming as the large quantities were, he was grateful to have things be more light-hearted, and less heavy, than they had been only a few weeks ago. In some ways, the town war had been a blessing in disguise—now that everyone knew about the Kamibito and Ochibito, they could make another step towards co-existing, and the harsh old laws would be eradicated bit by bit. He had Kamibito friends, and an Ochibito friend, and he was sitting here with all three eating ice cream and talking about school hobbies as if they were all human. Part of him hoped this peaceful moment would never end.

"'Suzu-chan," Kaname said, "is there anything you want for your birthday?"

Isuzu shook her head. "I want to be surprised, and that's final," she said firmly.

"All right, if you say so," Kaname sighed. "Just don't be disappointed if we get you something you don't want…Nemuru-san, you'll be there for Suzu-chan's birthday party, right?"

Nemuru hesitated before saying, "I can't say for sure. Actually, that's just what I wanted to talk to you about, the reason why I quit sports. I have a meeting to go to tonight, and there might be several more over the next few days."

"What's it about?" Mana asked. "Why would you need several meetings?"

"I'm not entirely sure just yet," Nemuru said. She stirred her spoon around in her sundae, which was beginning to melt. "I only found out last night. A man wants to start a new company in Jougamachi, but I don't know what it's about. He just said it would improve relations between the Kamibito and the Ochibito." She paused. "At least, that's what he _said."_

"_He?"_ Curious, Hiroshi asked, "Who's _he?"_

Nemuru once again hesitated. She said in a low voice, "Do you remember the leader of the Kamibito extremists from the town war last month?"

Everyone nodded, though they felt uneasy to think about the events of "that" day now when they were trying to have a peaceful day.

"The man in charge is his brother," Nemuru said. "And I have my own suspicions about him, but I can't be certain about them just yet. He claimed to be nothing like his brother, and that he wanted a more peaceful resolution for the conflicts between our people."

"And do you believe him?" Kaname asked. The spoon in her hand wobbled.

"I'm not sure what to believe," Nemuru said slowly. "But I will meet with him tonight and find out what his agenda is."

"Do you have to leave soon, Nemuru-san?" Hiroshi said. "Are we slowing you down?"

Nemuru shook her head. "No, we're fine right now. The meeting will be at eight o'clock. We still have a few hours, but we should head home in a few minutes. For now, let's have ice cream."

* * *

It was a quarter to six when the gang went their separate ways and headed off for their individual homes. Isuzu had to stop at the local supermarket to pick something up for dinner, so she wasn't with Hiroshi and Mana when they headed for their apartment complex.

"What do you think that guy _really_ wants from Nemuru-chan?" Mana said as Hiroshi pushed her in her wheelchair up the concrete ramp.

"Who? That leader of the company Nemuru's seeing tonight?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yes," Mana said. She smoothed out her crumb-ridden lap. "She said he's the brother of that guy who led those extremists into battle that day, right? And he's saying he's nothing like his brother and wants peace, but does he _really_ mean that? What if he's just setting Nemuru-chan up somehow?"

"I believe that's why she's seeing him," Hiroshi said. The two neared the door. "She wants to know if this is the kind of man who can be trusted. If she thinks he's no good and that he'll only make things worse, she'll probably turn him down. Things are already unstable with the people in this city, and she knows better than any of us just what it would take to tip that instability over."

He began to open the doors, when Mana said, "Then again, his brother wasn't the one who started that war."

Hiroshi stopped halfway through. _Sakaki-san...he's a Kamibito now..._

Hiroshi opened the door the rest of the way and said, "Let's go upstairs, Mana."

* * *

When they reached the outside door of their apartment, they first noticed a pair of shoes on the mat just outside.

"Oh? I wonder who's here?" Mana said.

"Probably that new publisher dad keeps saying he's going to see," Hiroshi suggested. He heard faint voices on the other side, that of his father, and a woman whose voice sounded vaguely familiar. Hiroshi opened the door by a crack and took a peek inside. Mana also craned her head to see the two people talking.

Their father, Masaaki Kuzumi, was sitting on the couch facing the door, his posture slouched. The woman he was talking to was sitting with her back facing the door. Masaaki looked up and said, "Ah, Hiroshi! Mana! You've come home! And just in time, too; we have a surprise guest."

Hiroshi opened the door the rest of the way and pushed Mana inside, going a few more steps ahead. He stopped when the person in the couch stood up, and let out a small gasp to see that this person was…

"Mama?" Mana said, surprised.

Their mother, Misaki Kuzumi, smiled and said, "My children. It is good to see you both again."

While she still had the same, motherly face from three years ago, before she had left the family, she looked so…so _different._ In the aftermath of Mana's traffic accident confining her to a wheelchair, their mother had worn a constant look of panic or tension on her face, never stopping to relax. Her dark hair had never once been in a tidy style, not even when let down on her shoulders; it was either in a messy half-done bun, or in tangled straggles.

In contrast, the mother standing before them had a relaxed, happy expression, her hair reaching her shoulders and neatly combed, glasses sitting neatly on her nose, and her posture giving off a well-composed aura.

"Hiroshi," Misaki stepped forward, "I heard about what happened."

"Oh," Hiroshi said. He felt a bit uneasy now; of course he knew what she was referring to. During his time in the hospital, he had not heard if his mother knew about what had happened or not; she had not come to visit, and he assumed she would've visited if she had. Why was she coming back a month later?

As if she could read his mind, Misaki said softly, "I am so sorry I could not see you. I was out in the country, and…it was only when I got back two weeks ago that I heard about…and how you were…" She took off her glasses, a sign Hiroshi took to mean that the waterworks would start up. "I had my suspicions you were the young boy who got shot for that girl. But I was afraid to find out. Still, I had to know, and I called up your father, and he told me…about…"

She let out a sob and drew Hiroshi in for a near-suffocating hug. She smelled like vanilla; she still used the same soap after all these years. She still smelled like his mother.

Hiroshi returned the hug and said, "It's good to have you back, mom."

"I would've come _much_ sooner," Misaki sobbed. She took out a tissue and dabbed her eyes before reluctantly letting go. "I quit my job. I moved out of my apartment. I found a good agent. I looked around the New Town. And now…" She gulped back a sob and said, "Now, I'm coming home."

"You're moving back in?" Mana said hopefully.

Misaki blew her nose and said, "No, Mana, I'm afraid not. Your father and I…we still have our issues to work out. But I will be moving much closer by. I found a small, cozy house in the New Town that I will be moving into tomorrow. Then we will make up for lost time. How does that sound?"

Hiroshi looked over at Mana. They had both missed their mother, but it wasn't something they dwelled on or talked about. It was just a sad fact they had accepted and moved on with. They had been fine with it simply being them and their father up to now. So to have their mother suddenly come back and say she wanted to make amends left them a bit unsure of how to take this news.

Finally, they looked back to their mother, and Hiroshi said, "That sounds fine by us. It'll give us time to catch up."

Misaki looked over at Mana and said, "Mana…your father told me you were the one to put a stop to the town war just through the power of words."

"It…it's nothing," Mana muttered, her cheeks turning pink. "I just felt the need to speak, or do _something;_ I'd feel worse if I did nothing and let everyone…"

Now, it was Mana's turn to receive a hug from Misaki. "You both acted bravely, at the risk of your safety," she said, holding back tears. "I have never been prouder of my children in my life."

Hiroshi and Mana shared a smile. They could tell this was the beginning of a beautiful reunion.


	4. Vermillion Cotton

A/N: Another Ookami Kakushi soundtrack piece, this time from the VN: watch?v=8EQplt17ji0

* * *

Though Sakaki still felt a bit feverish and lightheaded, he was sent home with medication in the evening. He had lived with Kaori in her house ever since she had bailed him out. Now, he had just changed into his pajamas and was ready to fall back asleep.

As his body sank into the soft, deep mattress of the bed (which used to be Kaori's grandmother's bed), he sighed and muttered, "So, Kaori, now what do I do?"

"You heard the doctor," Kaori said as she applied a cool washcloth to his forehead. "Take a capsule a day, have some Hassaku with every meal, and you should be fine. It's just a few, small adjustments you'll have to make. Still, it's not easy for everyone to adjust, and everyone does so in different ways. I've heard of some people who dealt with the news by throwing themselves back into something they were once passionate over. Is there anything you're passionate about?"

"Not that I can think of," Sakaki said. "I've thought about either going back to college or finding a job, though. Just for the hell of it."

"Why don't you find a job with that new company, if it gets set-up?" Kaori suggested.

"What company?" Sakaki muttered. He propped himself up on his elbows.

"Oh, I guess you didn't hear the news," Kaori said. "There might be a new company in Jougamachi coming soon. There are a lot of secretive details around it, though, so I don't know a lot. It might interest you to have a talk with the man or woman who's in charge—yes, I think it was a man, but I'm not sure."

"Sure, sure," Sakaki muttered. His eyelids grew heavy. He let out a long, deep yawn and drifted off to sleep.

Kaori smiled at the sight. Sakaki looked so peaceful and cute in his sleep. At first glance, it would be impossible to believe he had ever waged war against all Kamibito, or that he was struggling to accept being one himself.

Her smile fell. Was it truly okay for her to feel this way towards him? She still remembered the look of panic, sorrow, and regret in his eyes when he found out she, too, was a Kamibito, and how he couldn't bring himself to kill her that day. But even so, could they be truly happy together if he knew about her condition?

"Oh, Sakaki-san," Kaori whispered. "How could I even begin to tell you?"

She stood up. She had to start preparing dinner.

* * *

"Thank you once again for coming, Master Nemuru," the man said as Nemuru walked into the conference room.

"It's my pleasure," Nemuru said. She took her seat at one end of the table. At the other end sat a man with graying brown hair. Beneath his aging face, he barely concealed a smile. Nemuru hoped his resemblance to his brother was just physical.

What was his first name again? Had he introduced himself last night?

Ah, right. Now she remembered. His name was Tatsuya, written with the characters for "dragon" and "to be". Tatsuya Kasai.

"Good evening, Master Nemuru," Tatsuya spoke. "I'm glad you could make it this evening." He gestured to the teapot in the middle of the table. "Care for a drink?"

"No thank you," Nemuru said. She looked him in the eye and said, "Please, tell me more about the company you wish to set up. Last night, you said it would benefit the people of Jougamachi. How exactly would it accomplish this goal?"

"A very good question, indeed, Master Nemuru," Tatsuya said. He folded his hands together. "You see, I grew up in this town, just like you. My brother and I were there to see Jougamachi at both its finest hours and its worst hours. Rest assured, I had nothing to do with the massacre at this year's Hassaku festival." He sighed, "My, what a tragic event. So many times, I have wondered what I could've done to prevent it. I wish things could have gone differently." He paused. "Especially with my brother and…his death. Or rather, his decision to die."

"I am very sorry for what happened to your brother," Nemuru said. She wondered why Tatsuya wasn't cutting to the point, but knew it would be rude to ask.

"Oh, it was no one's fault but his own," Tatsuya said, his voice showing the slightest hint of remorse. "In the aftermath, I realized his own pride had been his downfall. He didn't want to live in a future where the Kamibito would be seen as sick humans rather than glorious Gods. What he didn't realize was that the Kamibito could still be as respected as they once were without their needless burden. Future generations will benefit from learning about our condition. And that is why I have come here tonight."

He stood up. "My apologies for not getting to the point straight away, Master Nemuru. I understand you might find my suggestion a tad controversial, but rest assured, there's no malicious intent behind it. I struggle just as you struggle. And with this company, those struggles shall be no more. Tell me, Master Nemuru: Wasn't your uncle seeking a cure for the Kamibito's condition before his tragic murder?"

Nemuru nodded. She steeled herself to show no sign of being affected by his reminder of what had happened.

"It is my intention to continue his research," Tatsuya said. He held his head high. "His death will not be in vain. One day, the Kamibito's struggles will be a thing of the past. However…correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there's a slight stumbling block to the research, correct? Can you explain to me what that is?"

"Ah…" Nemuru thought back to the various conversations she and her uncle had had together. She remembered him bringing up his research a few times. Had he mentioned anything about a stumbling block? "Not that I can recall," she said.

"Why don't you just tell me what you know about this 'Jacobson's Organ Mutation Syndrome'?" Tatsuya said. He folded his arms across his chest.

"For starters," Nemuru said slowly, "it's caused by a parasite. It's spread by direct mouth-to-mouth contact. The parasite then causes the growth of an extra olfactory bulb. Is there anything more I should tell you?"

"No, no, that'll be enough," Tatsuya said, stroking his chin. "But that's the problem, isn't it? The olfactory bulb. It would appear that it's impossible to extract it through brain surgery without doing serious damage. However, if a certain amount of research were conducted on this particular type of brain surgery, it might not be impossible after all. The purpose of our company will be to research for an experimental brain surgery to either repair or extract the olfactory bulb without causing the patient harm. Once we have reached a safe conclusion, we will begin searching for volunteers."

He stopped long enough to wait for Nemuru's reaction. Finally, she said:

"I'm not sure if I can agree to that or not. A cure is already being researched…"

"Yes, but is it enough?" Tatsuya pointed out. "Can a medical cure be so readily reached? Wouldn't it benefit the people of Jougamachi to seek faster means?"

"Can you guarantee your brain research would be any faster?" Nemuru asked. Her mind wavered on the issue, wondering whether this was a good idea or not.

"Oh, it would be unrealistic to expect results in a few days, for sure," Tatsuya said with a wave of his hand. "And I can't promise the results would be ready only weeks after the research began. If all goes well, I project that we will perform our first successful surgery by this time next year, perhaps a few months before or after."

Alarm bells inside Nemuru's head rang: _Wait…can it really be possible for it to be researched that quickly? How is this supposed to be any quicker than medical research?_

As if he could read Nemuru's mind, Tatsuya added, "I understand your doubts. Actually, I've been looking into the matter for the past few years with my brother's help. I'm just not there yet. All I need is your permission for us to set our headquarters here, in this conference room. We'll hold meetings on what we can do, discuss research materials, etcetera. And while it is true that the surgery could be risky, every medical advancement in history has never been without risk or questionable ethics. Would you call the methods of Edward Jenner or Frederick Banting 'unethical'? Would you have demanded for them to seek more 'acceptable' methods? Were their methods really so bad if they resulted in saving the lives of thousands? Oh, but do forgive me. I've been going on and on all this time. Please tell me what you think."

Nemuru hesitated. When she came in, she thought she had known what she would say if the offer was either outrageous or reasonable. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"I will admit that you raise some interesting points," Nemuru began, "but the procedure would still be risky. It might be possible, but even so…I'll keep your points in mind and we can discuss this tomorrow."

"Actually, I would prefer for you to reach a decision _tonight,"_ Tatsuya said, "or I will leave. If you decide the risk is not worth the greater future for your people, I will leave and never bother you again. But if you decide otherwise...how about I step outside for a few minutes? Perhaps ten? Would that give you enough time to think about it?"

Nemuru nodded. "Yes, I would appreciate that."

Tatsuya turned to leave. He waited until he was outside the conference room before allowing a smirk to curve across his lips.

* * *

Nemuru sat and thought over the proposal. She knew this was an especially precarious time for both the Kamibito and Ochibito citizens of Jougamachi. Anything could tip the semi-balanced peace over the edge. Was this really worth the risk of tipping over that peace? Was it even worth risking a few potential lives down the line?

Still, he had made a point with those two men he had mentioned. If someone had said to Jenner or Banting "no, your methods are too unethical and risky, we can't allow them", would someone else have eventually invented the vaccine or found another treatment for diabetics? Would anyone else be willing to risk the death of one person or one dog to save thousands of lives?

But what about her uncle? Would _he_ have approved of it? It had been his wish to see a brighter future for Jouga. And yet…

Nemuru sighed and stood up. She'd need that tea after all.

Eight minutes had gone by and Nemuru still hadn't made up her mind. This was useless. If she didn't have a yes or no answer, would Tatsuya leave? Or would this go on all night until she finally said something?

Nemuru took a sip of tea. By now, it had grown cold and lost its flavour. She put the cup down and sighed. "Uncle," she said out loud, "what should I do?"

She thought about the doctors carrying on her uncle's research. The vaccine developed a short while ago would help hold over the Kamibito's impulse for now, but it wasn't exactly a 'cure'. If the research continued at the rate it was going now, there might be a chance that a cure would be available for the Kamibito children once they grew up, but their parents probably wouldn't be as lucky. And all this was still a big 'might'.

Nemuru still remembered the difficulties she had gone through with the neighbourhood association last week when she tried to pass some of the current laws. They had used almost every excuse they could think of against her—that her ideals were too immature, and that her association with "that boy" was clouding her judgment, just to name a few. It had astounded her that those laws had even gone through at all. But for now, they'd only be allowed for a certain amount of months before the neighbourhood association and council evaluated them to see how effective they truly had been.

If the Kamibito's condition could be cured, these laws might not have to be necessary after all…

But would it be right?

Nemuru closed her eyes and took another sip of the cold tea.

* * *

"Time's up," Tatsuya muttered as he looked down at his wristwatch. "Might as well go in."

He opened the door to the conference room and went back inside. Nemuru still sat at the end of the table holding a half-empty cup of tea.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you've helped yourself," Tatsuya remarked as he took his place. "Good. I find a good drink usually helps clear up the mind, yes?"

Nemuru did not answer. She lay the cup down on the saucer.

"So?" Tatsuya said. "Have you made up your mind?"

"I have considered your words carefully," Nemuru said. "And…"

She stopped. "Yes, go on," Tatsuya urged. "I won't be offended if you say no."

Nemuru looked him in the eye and said:

"I accept your offer. However, you'll still need to talk to the neighbourhood association, and the neighbourhood council, about it."

"Already have," Tatsuya said. "They both said I needed to get the signal from you, first. Truth be told, though, those neighbourhood association men _did_ strike me as a tad difficult. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to deal with them."

Nemuru nodded slightly. "Yes, it can be hard," she said. "Would you like to further discuss the matter over the next few days? We could go over the details of your proposed research, and what you'll need. I'll see if it's all right for you to use this conference room, or if you'll need to look elsewhere."

The two stood up. Tatsuya walked over to Nemuru and stretched out a hand. "I look forward to many dealings with you, Master Nemuru."

Nemuru grasped his hand and shook it. "And I with you."


	5. In the Afternoon

A/N: This time, the title comes from a Puella Magi Madoka Magica track: watch?v=bAohtKfCQfM

* * *

There was no school the following day, so Hiroshi and Mana decided to use this free time to take their mother around the city and get caught up. Now, they were eating lunch at the Café Etranger.

"Mmm," Misaki said as she dabbed at the corners of her lips with a napkin. "I can't remember how long it's been since I've eaten out with my children."

"I always remember you cooking for us," Hiroshi said. He clipped the two chopsticks between the noodles. Again, the noodles rebelled against their insistent master. He sighed and used a fork.

"It's all right," Misaki laughed. "At your age, I wasn't very good with chopsticks, either."

As Hiroshi and Mana exchanged stories about their time in Jouga, Misaki felt a growing ache in her chest. She wondered what her life could've been now if she hadn't left, if she had found another way to cope…

But it _had_ been for the best. She couldn't have let her children see her like that. Back then, it was like she was drowning and her husband wasn't even _trying_ to save her.

Back when she had needed it the most...

"Mama?" Mana piped up. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine," Misaki sighed. "I've just been thinking about some things, like how I'm glad to be able to see you two again full time, and not just once in a while." She changed the subject: "Hey, how about after this, we go shop for some ice cream?"

* * *

The grocery store wasn't as busy as some of the other areas in the central market, but it was still a bit tricky to move around without bumping into anyone.

"Oof! Sorry! Sorry!" Hiroshi apologized as he squeezed Mana between two adults. "Mana, are you okay?"

"I'm _fine,_ onii-chan," Mana huffed. "I could get past everyone by myself, you know."

"Mana, how many times have we talked about this?" Hiroshi sighed. He slid past a particularly large woman while muttering, "Sorry!"

"Gee, I lost count after the one-millionth time," Mana said dryly. "Can't you let me _try?"_

"Just like me check with mom, first," Hiroshi said. He squinted. "Where _is_ she, anyway? Let's go to the front of the store and wait for her."

The two siblings navigated around the crowded, chilly aisles. Eventually, they found a less-crowded corner. Slowly, Hiroshi pushed Mana through the crowd until they reached the front, where they found Misaki waving over to them.

"Hiroshi! Mana!" she called out.

As Hiroshi pushed Mana towards their mother, Mana called out, "Mama, tell onii-chan that I can get around by myself just fine!"

"But what if someone knocks her over?" Hiroshi argued. "What if—"

"Actually," Misaki said sheepishly, "I think we should try going somewhere else. It's a little _too_ crowded here today."

"_Then_ can I go around the store by myself?" Mana asked.

Before Misaki could answer, a soft voice from behind Hiroshi said, "Kuzumi-kun? Mana-chan?"

Hiroshi let go of Mana's wheelchair and turned around. Kaori stood in front of them holding a few grocery bags. She had her usual smile on her face as she said, "Ah, I thought I recognized you. My, my, it sure is crowded today, isn't it?"

"Tell us about it, haha!" Hiroshi laughed.

"I've been practicing the violin more and more often now!" Mana piped up. Her face lit up as she said, "I think I can almost play that one song perfectly!" She turned herself towards her mother and said, "This is our mother, Misaki Kuzumi. Mama, this is Kaori Mana, my violin instructor.

Kaori stepped forward. She and Misaki shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Kaori said. "I've heard some things about you from Mana-chan. When we spoke on the phone last night, she said you were moving to Jougamachi?"

"That I am," Misaki said with a smile. "If I may, would it be possible for me to attend some of Mana's violin lessons?"

"It wouldn't be a problem at all," Kaori said. "I enjoy having visitors." The two separated.

"I'm just wondering," Misaki said, stroking her chin, "would you happen to be the daughter of Iwaya and Chiharu Mana?"

"Yes, I am," Kaori said with a nod. "I owe my love for music to them." She laughed, "I can still remember getting up in the middle of the night to play the violin!"

"I'm glad to hear Mana is learning from the daughter of the very best," Misaki said.

Kaori blushed and looked away. "Oh, I have a far ways to go before I could ever be as good as my parents," she said. "I'm learning along with Mana-chan. Every lesson is a new experience for both of us."

"Kaori-san," Hiroshi said, "would you like us to help carry some of those bags?"

"Oh, I'll be fine," Kaori said.

"Do you have a car?" Misaki asked.

"No, I walk, but I'm all right," Kaori said. She headed out the doors. "I wouldn't mind some company, though!"

Misaki, Hiroshi, and Mana walked with Kaori through the crowded market. As they walked, Kaori's left arm started trembling. Though she tried, the bags began to slip further and further from her arms.

"Here, let me take one," Hiroshi quickly said as he grabbed a bag from Kaori's arm.

"I'll be okay," Kaori muttered. Her voice sounded weary. Her movements became slower.

"Are you okay?" Mana said. Her face creased. "Are you feeling sick again?"

"Oh, I'm just a little weak, yes," Kaori sighed. "I just need to sit down…"

She sat down on the nearest bench and closed her eyes. Misaki and Hiroshi sat next to her. "Kaori-san, are the crowds too overwhelming for you?" Hiroshi asked.

"A little," Kaori murmured. Her face grew flushed.

"I'll drive you home," Misaki said. "Here, give me a bag."

"Oh, but I couldn't trouble you like that," Kaori said quickly.

"You're in no shape to walk back home by yourself with all those groceries," Misaki insisted. "And it would be no trouble at all."

"Please?" Mana begged. "We wouldn't want you to get even sicker."

"Thank you for thinking of me," Kaori yawned. Misaki helped her slowly stand up while Hiroshi took the bags. Mana began to wonder if Kaori's illness was more serious than she was letting on.

* * *

The capsule slid down easier than Sakaki had expected. He gulped down the rest of the refreshing, cold water and put the glass in the kitchen sink. Though he almost felt completely better, he was still reluctant about the idea of venturing outside the house. By now, the Kamibito would know he was one of _them._ He could only imagine how much they revelled in the idea that the man who had tried to destroy their people had now become the very thing he once hated.

In spite of himself, Sakaki laughed at the thought.

He looked up at the small, wooden clock on the wall above the fridge. It was five minutes off, and had been for months, according to Kaori. She just hadn't gotten around to adjusting it. Right now, Kaori was out shopping for groceries. She had asked if he wanted to come with, but he chose to stay behind.

Just as Sakaki began to head back for his room, the doorbell rang. He knew it couldn't have been Kaori; she'd come in quietly.

Sakaki walked out of the kitchen and to the living room. He was still wearing his bathrobe over his pyjamas, so modesty wasn't an issue. He opened the door. In the doorway stood a man in a grey suit. He had a smile that made Sakaki feel both at ease and suspicious. He had a strong cologne, but no honey-like scent. (Sakaki scowled at the thought of having to identify people by their _scent_ from now on)

"Good afternoon," the man said, his voice thick and soothing. "You must be Shunichirou Sakaki. I've heard a lot about you. May I come in?"

Sakaki did not budge. "What do you want?" he said coolly.

"Why are you greeting me so coldly?" the man asked, sounding mildly shocked. "I just asked if I can come in. I only wish to speak to you for a few minutes. If what I say doesn't interest you in the slightest, I promise I will never bother you again."

Sakaki hesitated. Then he remembered Kaori's advice about how he should try to be a little more civil towards the Kamibito. He sighed, "Come in."

He stepped back. The man took off his shoes—black patented leather—and placed them on the mat. He came inside and closed the door behind him.

"My, what a lovely house you have, here," the man commented. "May I sit?"

Sakaki pointed to the couch facing the window. The man took his seat and asked, "Is this your house?"

"Not exactly," Sakaki said. He sat in a chair across from the man. "I live here with someone else."

"A pretty young woman?" the man asked with a knowing smile.

Sakaki stiffened. "Yes," he said. "Kaori Mana."

"Ah, yes, that wonderful violinist," the man mused. "Her music makes me think of an elegant swan gracing the autumn river amongst the dying leaves. But I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, how rude of me! I'm Tatsuya Kasai."

"_Kasai,_ huh?" Sakaki muttered. The name sounded familiar, but where had he heard it before?

"You may have heard of my brother?" Tatsuya suggested. "Eiji Kasai?"

"Ah—now I remember," Sakaki said. He tugged at the collar of his bathrobe. "He's the man from…back then."

"Rest assured, I don't hold any of the events from last month against you," Tatsuya assured him. "We all behaved shamefully that day. But that's not what I came to talk about. Last night, I received permission to set up my own company here in Jougamachi. The headquarters will be at the centre, in the conference room. Right now, I am seeking more employees. I already have a few trusted associates who are on-board with my plans, but I will still need a few more. I was hoping you might be interested in a position. Perhaps as one of my assistants?"

"That sounds interesting," Sakaki said, though he did not smile. Something about this man didn't feel right to him. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," Tatsuya said with a dismissal wave. "Why would there be? I'm just looking for a good, competent assistant."

"What makes you think I'd be a 'good' assistant?" Sakaki asked, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize that I now have a criminal record? Or that I didn't graduate from university?"

"None of that matters," Tatsuya said with a shrug. "I'm more interested in your diligence and intelligence than your criminal record or education. You'll receive a hefty salary. And you'll get the chance to make a real difference."

"But what _is_ this company about?" Sakaki asked. Tempted as he was to accept the offer, he wanted to know just what he was getting himself into.

"It's more like a research team, really," Tatsuya said. "We intend to find a cure for the disease us Kamibito suffer from. True, there is currently work being done to find a _medical_ cure, but we're aiming a bit higher: We're looking at brain surgery. Our goal," Tatsuya leaned forward, "is to find a safe method of removing or repairing the extra olfactory bulb in the brain. Just think: If this goes successfully, you could be cured from your condition. Your life could go back to normal. Furthermore, your name could be widespread across the country. People would remember you as 'the man who helped hundreds of lives'. What do you say?"

His life could go back to normal? Just like that?

…Who was he kidding? His life couldn't truly be 'normal' again after this. He'd still have to live with the fact that he had once been 'one of them'.

"I sense your doubt, Sakaki-san," Tatsuya said, his voice gruff but soft. "Perhaps we could have lunch together tomorrow at the Café Etranger? My treat. I wish we could keep talking, but I have other matters to attend to." He stood up. "I'll meet you outside the café tomorrow at a quarter to noon."

Sakaki let out a defeated sigh, "Fine. See you tomorrow."

Tatsuya smiled and said "Good. I look forward to it."

Sakaki closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He waited to hear the door close, then stood up. He had another headache coming on.

* * *

"Thank you again for taking me home," Kaori said as she stepped out of the car with her grocery bags.

"It's no problem at all," Misaki said as she adjusted the rear view mirror.

"Are you sure you don't need us to help carry those groceries?" Hiroshi asked.

"No, no, I'm fine," Kaori said, shaking her head. "A little rest in the car was all I needed." She used a free hand to wave to Hiroshi and Mana. "See you later!" She turned for the steps just as a man passed her by. "Oh, excuse me!" she said.

As Kaori moved past him, Tatsuya muttered, "Kaori Mana…do you have what it takes to bring Sakaki-san to his knees, I wonder?"


	6. Stupefaction

A/N: An Umineko piece that I feel goes nicely with the atmosphere: watch?v=X76lu7TCvOg

* * *

By the time evening rolled around, various rumours about the mysterious new company had spread around both the Old Town and the New Town. Some people had heard the company's intent was to eradicate all Kamibito from existence; others had heard they were a top-secret government project designed to force the Kamibito into hiding. One of the more bizarre rumours centered around the boss being an alien who had come to abduct the citizens of Jougamachi to colonize a new planet.

Nemuru did not know where these rumours came from or how they had started. Had someone overheard her talk with Tatsuya? Had they been seen? Right now, she couldn't investigate these rumours. She was about to begin another meeting—this time, with both the neighbourhood council _and_ neighbourhood association.

Nemuru took her seat at the head of the table in the conference room. Every eye bore into her as she cleared her throat and said, "By now, you have all heard about the rumours of the new company. I will assure you now that many of them were exaggerated, but it's true that I have accepted Tatsuya Kasai's offer."

The silence grated Nemuru's nerves. "Although his proposal sounded suspicious, I admire his intentions," Nemuru went on. "With luck, he may find a cure by this time next year."

"And how do you know this?"

That single voice cut through her words like a knife. Calmly, Nemuru explained, "That was his estimate. He says he's already begun the research and just needs to start seeking employees."

"What about permits?" one man demanded. "What about paying for space?"

Nemuru stood her ground. "I gave him the permits this morning," she said. "He assured me he has the money for it—money he inherited from his father's death."

"So many 'assurances'," the same man scoffed. "How can you be so sure of this man's intentions?"

"I can't," Nemuru admitted. "But that's a chance I must take for the sake of the Kamibito. If he turns out to have false intentions and, I will take full responsibility. I really do think this might be a worthwhile cause, if it's successful. If he can find a safe method of brain surgery, the Kamibito's illness could be cured. Ultimately, it could strengthen relations between the Kamibito and the Ochibito."

"What about the potential risk?" argued another man. "Everyone is still recovering from the town war last month. How will they react to this?"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Nemuru said. In the back of her mind, a tiny, rising voice wondered if these men were right. She tried to suppress this voice, or at least, not let it show that their words were affecting her.

Nemuru cleared her throat. "Anyway…as for other matters related to the company…"

* * *

The rest of the meeting went by (relatively) smoothly. Nemuru returned home at nine o'clock, feeling a strong urge to take a long, hot bath.

"I'm home," she announced as she walked into the tatami room. Her father, Juuzo, was sitting around the table sipping a cup of tea.

"Welcome back," he said. "How was the meeting?"

"It went over more civilly than I expected, though not as much as I had hoped," Nemuru said as she sat across from him.

"I would've been surprised if everyone had accepted Tatsuya Kasai's presence without objection," Juuzo said.

Nemuru wrapped her hands around the warm cup. She slowly raised it to her lips and took a sip. The tea was hot and bitter. The liquid slid down her throat, warming her up from the inside.

She gently put the cup down and said, "Father? Do you think I made the right decision?"

Juuzo closed his eyes. For several seconds, he did not say a word. Then, he opened his eyes and said, "As you are now the family head, you alone are responsible for the decisions made on behalf of the Kushinada family, and therefore, the entire village. However," he looked at her sternly, "I can't say I approve of how readily you accepted that man's proposal."

Nemuru thought about how to reply to that. Only one answer kept circling in her head—that if this man's research came through as promised it could help the Kamibito faster than waiting for the other research—but she knew this was still a big _if._ The nagging suspicion that she shouldn't have accepted his deal so soon kept rising up, and she wasn't sure if it was anxiety over whether this would work, or if it was her intuition kicking in too late.

In either case, Nemuru knew she couldn't let her father's words go unanswered. "It's too late to have any doubts about his intentions now," Nemuru said. "It's only a matter of days until his company—or research team—is officially set up. From there, we will see what happens. I know this is risky, but if it means the Kamibito and the Ochibito can live together in peace that much sooner, then maybe the risk is worth it."

"Ah, that's what your mother would've said," Juuzo sighed.

Nemuru clutched her cup. "Is that so?" she muttered. She closed her eyes. "And as for uncle…would _he_ have approved?"

She opened her eyes. Juuzo's stiff expression did not change. "He might have," he said. His glance shifted over to the shrine dedicated to him at the back of the room.

_But still,_ Nemuru thought, _would he have accepted the offer so quickly? At the very least, he'd consider it. He might have thought it was a good idea. If he were still alive—_

Nemuru realized her eyes had begun to moisten. She blinked and said, "Anyway…I should go to bed soon."

* * *

"…so now I have to see this man tomorrow," Sakaki finished as he helped Kaori put the dishes away. "Do you think I should go?"

"I don't see why not," Kaori said as she dried off a bowl with a wash cloth. "I think you should take this opportunity. Maybe—"

She suddenly stopped. She squeezed her eyes shut and drew in a deep breath.

"Kaori?" Sakaki stopped stacking the dishes. "Are you okay?"

"It's…it's nothing," Kaori muttered as she continued to breathe in and out. "I'm just…tired…that's all."

Sakaki took a closer look at her flushed face. He touched her forehead with the back of his palm; immediately, he drew it back from the heat.

"Kaori, you're not getting sick, are you?" he asked, stepping in closer to her.

"I…" Kaori took another long, deep breath and opened her eyes. "I told you a while ago that I've taken a leave of absence because of my health, right? That's all it is."

"But—"

"Please," Kaori stumbled past him. She grabbed the nearby counter for support. "I'll just go lie down for a while. I probably just overdid it today, that's all." She turned to him with a weak smile. "Really. Just let me rest."

She let go of the counter and slowly walked out of the kitchen. Sakaki stood and wondered just what exactly Kaori's condition _was._ After finding out about the role of Hakuro Kanon, he had assumed the real reason for Kaori's leave of absence was to prepare for this role. Yet now, he wondered if there had been some element of truth to her excuse—that she had left because of her frail health.

She had left some time ago. Why wasn't she any better now? Surely this wasn't just another part of being a Kamibito.

What did she have? Was it some form of lupus? Muscle disease? Or, heaven forbid, cancer?

Or something else…?

Sakaki looked back at the pile of dishes. Kaori would want him to clean the rest of this up. With a heavy sigh, he went back to work, resolving to ask Kaori about her condition tomorrow.


	7. Sympathy For The Devil

_Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name_

_But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game..._

_-"Sympathy For The Devil", The Rolling Stones_

* * *

Though it went against his better instincts, Sakaki decided to meet Tatsuya for lunch. By now, he had fully recovered from his "transformation". Physically, anyway.

After the two men had placed their orders and waited for their meals to arrive, the hairs on the back of Sakaki's neck stood up. And it wasn't just because he could smell a lingering mixture of honey, cologne, and food in the air. It was because he was almost certain that everyone was staring at him, or at least, the Kamibito customers.

They knew. He was now one of _them._ The man who had once declared their people to be 'monsters' was now a 'monster' himself. _Oh,_ the irony.

"Sakaki-san, you look tense," Tatsuya remarked. "Why don't you have a glass of wine? Waitress!"

"That won't be necessary," Sakaki quickly said. He rubbed his neck. "So, Kasai-san…"

"Please," Tatsuya held up a hand, "call me Tatsuya-san. Would you prefer if I called you Shunichirou-san in return?"

Sakaki hesitated, wondering whether or not to let him know that 'Shunichirou Sakaki' had been an alias he took on when he came to Jougamachi. Then, he decided against it; the name 'Sakaki' had stuck with him for so long it would impossible to get rid of it.

"Oh, I know your real name, in case you're wondering," Tatsuya said. "But as long as you're in Jouga, 'Shunichirou Sakaki' will continue to be your new identity, as far as I'm concerned."

Sakaki frowned. "How did you...never mind," he sighed. "So…have you found any other prospective employees?"

"A few," Tatsuya said. He opened a small cream packet and poured the white liquid into his coffee. "I've begun to hire a few people, and am still considering others. I predict that I should be ready to officially open the company by next week."

"What makes you think you can find people that quickly?" Sakaki asked. He took a sip of his coffee, which was strong and bitter.

"I have my ways," Tatsuya said. He smiled slyly. "Let's just say that having a brother who had easy access to the information of various patients of the centre paid off. Any other questions?"

"Yes," Sakaki said, straightening his tie. "You said the other day that you don't care about my criminal record…well, _you_ might not care, but the rest of the citizens in this city _do._ Aren't you concerned about what they'd say if they knew you hired—or were going to hire—someone like _me?"_

"Let the people talk," Tatsuya said, his smile never once wavering. "In time, they won't care about the reputation of the employees. They'll change their minds when they realize our good intentions."

Sakaki shifted his glance across the room. Two tables ahead, there was a man who was looking up from his menu. As soon as Sakaki's eyes met his, he looked back at the menu.

"You had _better_ be right about that," Sakaki sighed. He ran a hand through his long bangs. "Ka—Tatsuya-san—how would you plan on doing this 'research' anyway? Just from one man's report? From making everyone read books about brain surgery?"

Tatsuya looked over his shoulder. "Wait until after we've eaten our meals. Then I'll tell you."

"Why can't you tell me _now?"_ Sakaki asked.

"Because," Tatsuya lowered his voice, "the details are a tad delicate. We would need to discuss the details in private."

Sakaki folded his arms. "Tell me now, or no deal."

"Has anyone ever told you that you drive a hard bargain?" Tatsuya laughed. "Follow me."

The two men stood up. Tatsuya led Sakaki to the men's bathroom. During their short walk, Sakaki cringed as he realized they were passing the spot where he had been turned into…_one of them._

Tatsuya pushed the door open and the two men went inside. Tatsuya took Sakaki by the sleeve and led him into a nearby stall. He closed the door and said in a low voice, "Sorry for all the secrecy. But you must understand what the consequences would be if the wrong people were to overhear us."

Sakaki nodded. "Go on."

Tatsuya spoke, "At first, I considered testing on rats. And this is the information we will disclose to the public. However, that's not the only method we will use."

Sakaki raised his eyebrows. "I see. You're not thinking of testing on random _people,_ are you?"

"Oh no, no, no, nothing like that," Tatsuya said quickly. "However…there _are_ various methods of stimulating a Kamibito's olfactory bulb that aren't technically 'illegal'. And there _are_ ways to accomplish this without the individual's knowledge—suppose a Kamibito came to the centre to be treated for an infection. It would only be natural for them to be subjected to a series of tests to rule out other possibilities, right?"

"Ah," Sakaki said, a grin spreading across his face. "I get it. But suppose someone were to get suspicious…?"

"I have my ways," Tatsuya said. He stretched out a hand. "So, are you in?"

Sakaki hesitated. "Let's get back to our table and wait for lunch first," he said. "Then I'll see."

"Before we go back," Tatsuya said, "please tell me why you're so hesitant, even after I just told you everything. You know what the purpose of the company is. You know how the research will be done. And you know that this job has the potential to pay you well. So what's holding you back?"

"Simple," Sakaki said as he pushed the stall door open, "because the job would be a complete waste of my time. Also, I just don't like you."

"So not even a one-hundred and eighty thousand yen salary would change your mind?" Tatsuya asked.

Sakaki stopped. Then, he continued to walk forward. "Tempting, but no."

* * *

Their meals arrived shortly after the two men sat back down at their table. As they began to eat, Tatsuya said, "I apologize if I came off a bit too strong. What can I do to make the job appear more worthwhile to you?"

"Nothing," Sakaki sighed as he sipped the spicy broth. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested, but…"

"But you wonder if this job would truly make a difference in your life," Tatsuya said as he carved up the veal. "You know that even if you helped find a cure for the Kamibito's condition, you would still be viewed as the man who tried to destroy them. You fear that even if your own condition were cured, you'd still have to live with the memory of what it was like to be just like us."

Sakaki's spoon wobbled between his fingers. He lay it down and said, "So maybe you're right. But even so…"

"I don't think you have anything to worry about." Tatsuya clasped his hand over Sakaki's. Immediately, Sakaki felt an urge to jerk his hand back and run, yet for some reason, he felt obligated to stay.

"The fact that you're becoming friends that nice Kamibito woman tells me you're overcoming your prejudices," Tatsuya said, looking Sakaki directly in the eye. "If the others can't see it, that's their loss. When the day of your trial arrives, I promise to vouch for your reputation. Let us prove the people wrong together."

Tatsuya's words stroked Sakaki's insecurities like how a pet owner stroked its cat. A rising voice in Sakaki's head wondered if it might be okay to accept the man's offer after all.

"What do they know, anyway?" Tatsuya said, his voice swaying like the breeze of a summer evening. "I'll bet there aren't a lot of people in this town who know what happened to your beloved Mieko. She had also been turned into a Kamibito, was she not?"

_Mieko…_

Sakaki drew his hand back. He closed his eyes and tried not to picture Mieko's savagely ripped-apart body, or what her final moments must have been like. Even if she _had_ attacked another human…there was still no excuse for what _she_ had done…

"That little _bitch,"_ Sakaki seethed.

"Ah, please excuse me," Tatsuya said.

Sakaki opened his eyes and realized they were still in a restaurant. Sakaki quickly said, "No, excuse _me…_"

"No, really," Tatsuya said, holding up a hand. "I brought back painful memories for you. I apologize for that."

"How…how did you even…"

"I have my ways." Tatsuya leaned back in his seat. "Judging from the language you used just now, I would assume you were thinking of the Kushinada daughter?"

Sakaki picked up the spoon and stirred the vegetables around in his soup.

"If you choose to accept my offer," Tatsuya said, "keep in mind that you will need to adopt a more respectful attitude towards her."

"That's _if_ I accept," Sakaki said. "I'll think about it." He took another sip of coffee. By now, it had turned cold.

* * *

The sun shined upon the four friends as they ate lunch together on the school roof. So far, the day had been carefree, though Nemuru had to tell her friends about last night's meeting.

"Fwua thoo yuu—"

"Swallow, please," Nemuru said as she picked up a roll of seaweed with her chopsticks.

Isuzu gulped and said, "What do you think about this, Nemuru-chan?" She stabbed a fish sausage with her fork.

"I'm having my doubts," Nemuru admitted. "I wonder if I shouldn't have agreed to Kasai-san's offer so quickly."

"But didn't you say he forced you to make a decision that night?" Kaname pointed out. She gulped down a can of soda while Nemuru said, "True, but I should've been more forceful."

"What's the worst that can happen?" Isuzu asked with a shrug. "The research is useless? He wouldn't actually perform the surgery on someone without a good conclusion, right? What do you think, Hiro-kun?"

She scooted over to Hiroshi and wrapped her arm around his. Blushing, Hiroshi stammered, "Uh—ah—su—sure. I agree. Although, er…maybe you should wait a while first before kicking this guy out or not—Isuzu-chan, you're squeezing my arm too tight! I mean, he hasn't actually _done_ anything suspicious, right? So you don't really—_gwaah! Not my waist!_ So you don't really have any _reason_ to suspect he might or might not be up to no good, right? If you do find a reason, then maybe you can kick him out? _Gaah!"_ he cried out as he and Isuzu toppled over.

Kaname laughed while Nemuru said sternly, "Tsumuhana-san."

"Yep!" Isuzu cried out as she leaped to her feet.

"I believe you and Kuzumi-kun make a few good points," Nemuru said. She turned to Kaname. "As do you, Asagiri-san. Perhaps I should wait a bit."

"In the mean time," Kaname said, "I think there's another important subject to discuss: Suzu-chan's birthday! It's coming up pretty soon, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" Isuzu laughed. "This year, we should…"

As the gang got to talking about Isuzu's birthday, Nemuru began to relax and smile. Maybe everything with Tatsuya Kasai wouldn't be so complicated after all.

Maybe.


	8. Adagio for Strings

A/N: In my search for the right song to go with this chapter, I settled on a melancholic violin piece. Start listening after the third line, not starting with the one below: watch?v=KylMqxLzNGo&feature=related

* * *

When Sakaki arrived home, Kaori was still lying in bed, fast asleep underneath the pale rose blankets. Her face, still flushed, burned against Sakaki's hand.

"I'm home," Sakaki whispered in her ear as he kneeled beside the bed. He held her hand, which was just as hot as her face. He ran a thumb across her wrist, then stopped upon feeling a dry patch of skin. "Probably just some dry skin," he muttered, but he had a nagging feeling _something_ was wrong.

Frowning, he rolled up the sleeve by a few inches. Her skin wasn't just red and dry; it was stretched and thin, almost showing bone and muscle.

"What's this…" Sakaki muttered. He knew a bad skin condition by itself wasn't enough to cause Kaori to feel so ill. Was this a part of her condition? Now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall Kaori wearing anything that showed her arms and legs. She had always dressed very conservative. He had thought nothing of it and just assumed that was how Kaori preferred to dress.

Now, he wondered if she dressed this way to _hide_ her condition…

"Mmph…" Kaori stirred. Sakaki quickly let go of her arm, but didn't stand up. Kaori rolled over on her side and opened her eyes. She smiled. "Ah, Sakaki-san. How did the meeting go?"

"It went all right, but this man seems like the type of person who could sell ice to Eskimos," Sakaki scoffed. He paused. "Kaori…how have you been?"

"Oh, just fine," Kaori yawned, covering her mouth. "I've just been falling in and out of sleep all—"

She stopped when she noticed her exposed arm. She quickly rolled her sleeve back up and said, "Anyway, I'm still very tired, so…"

"Kaori." Sakaki spoke in a firm voice. "Your illness is more serious than you let on, isn't it?"

Kaori's smile fell. She said, "Ah…well…"

"Kaori," Sakaki repeated. He held her hand in his. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Kaori focused her gaze on the wallpaper. "Sakaki-san," she said slowly, "I'm sorry for not talking to you about this sooner. Right now, I would rather rest. But as soon as I'm feeling better, I promise I will tell you about my illness, okay?" Her eyelids drooped and she muttered, "Wake me up when Mana-chan comes over. Please, let me do this for just a short while, even if it's only half an hour. It will make me feel better than lying in bed all day. Please?"

Sakaki let go of her hand and sighed, "All right. But take it easy until then."

* * *

"Just wait until you actually _listen_ to her, mama!" Mana babbled as she, Hiroshi, and Misaki headed for Kaori's house later in the afternoon. "She's so _awesome_ and _amazing!_ She's just as good as her parents!"

"My, my, I can't wait for this lesson," Misaki remarked. Inside, she thought, _It sounds like Kaori-san is quite the amazing figure, isn't she? Almost like another mother…_

Hiroshi smiled as the three of them walked down the streets of the Old Town. The sun had begun to set, dying the streets bright red and yellow. The further they approached Kaori's house, the further this sunset spread. It was like a scene out of a painting.

"How long has it been since your last violin lesson with Kaori-san?" Misaki asked.

"A while," Mana said as she adjusted her hat. "Things have been pretty crazy since the Hassaku festival, so Kaori and I agreed to wait a bit for our lessons to start up again. Mo~, I can't _wait_ to get started again! I can show her what I've learned since last time!"

"Wait, didn't Kaori-san warn us about something?" Hiroshi said, frowning. "I remember her saying _something _to me over the phone about an extra guest, but I can't remember who it was." He shrugged. "Oh well. What's one more person?"

By now, the three had approached the cemented ramp leading up to Kaori's house. They went up together while Misaki said, "I almost forgot to tell you: I'm now a member of that new company."

"Wow, awesome~!" Mana exclaimed.

"Congratulations!" Hiroshi said with a huge smile. "What's the job?"

"I'm part of the research team," Misaki said. "I'm not sure _how_ we're going to be doing the research. It's all very secretive. But I'm sure it will be worth it if it's going towards a good cause."

They reached the door. Hiroshi rapped on the door three times and said, "Kaori-san! We're here!"

* * *

Inside, Kaori had just reached downstairs, wearing her brown sweater over her nightgown. She called out, "J, just a minute!" She took one, shaky step, then another. She slowly breathed in and out, trying to ignore the world spinning around her.

"Kaori?"

Kaori turned her head. Sakaki walked up to her and said, "Do you want me to answer the door?"

"No, no, it's…it's okay…" Kaori muttered. She tried taking another step, but cried out and fell. Sakaki caught her before she hit the ground and helped her stand up. "I…I suppose it wouldn't hurt if you went ahead," she said slowly. "But just remember: Kuzumi-kun will be here this time. So it might be a bit awkward."

"Eh, I can handle him," Sakaki said with a shrug.

"A, anyway…" Kaori leaned against the wall. "You go ahead. I'll take my time."

Sakaki brushed a strand of hair past her shoulders. Kaori looked away, her cheeks pink. "Just don't push yourself, okay?"

"O, okay," Kaori said, twiddling her fingers.

Sakaki reluctantly left Kaori where she was and headed for the door. _All right, Kuzumi-kun…what to say?_

He opened the door.

Immediately, a sweet, strong, honey-like fragrance filled the air, and he nearly stumbled back. He quickly regained his composure. As promised, Hiroshi and Mana were there, but they were accompanied by a woman whom Sakaki assumed was their mother.

As soon as he made eye contact with them, Mana scowled. Hiroshi's eyes wandered around the living room and he said, "Hello."

"Hello," Sakaki said stiffly.

Mana tugged on the woman's sleeve. "Mama!" she said. "This is the man who shot onii-chan!"

The woman's expression grew sharp and cold. "Is it?" She put her hands on her children's shoulders. "We're going home."

"Wait!" Sakaki took a step forward. "I…well…I won't sit in for the lesson. If that's what you're wondering."

The woman glared at him as though she were trying to make his head explode through the power of hatred.

Sakaki wondered if he should try to explain. He did, or at least, _tried: _"I wasn't aiming for your son. I was aiming at his friend." He paused, realizing that didn't sound any better. "In my defense—"

"_Spare us,"_ the woman said coldly. She walked up to Sakaki with her fists clenched. "You may _think_ you're justified in shooting at innocent children, but if you thought you could get away with trying to kill my _son,_ you're deeply mistaken, _buddy."_

At this, Sakaki dropped the farce and sneered, "So you think that girl was 'innocent'? Did your son tell you what she _did?"_

Before either could raise their fists, a frail voice said, "Ah, hello."

The pair turned. Kaori was slowly walking over to the nearest couch. She said, "I'm sorry. I should've warned you earlier. I tried to, but I wasn't sure if you were coming or not. Sakaki-san, this is Misaki Kuzumi. Misaki-san, this is Shunichirou Sakaki." She gestured. "It's all right, shake hands."

Misaki and Sakaki shook as though they were trying to wring each other's hands off.

Kaori looked over at Hiroshi and Mana, who were still in the doorway. "Come in, come in," she said.

Hiroshi and Mana came inside, not knowing what to make of the situation. On the one hand, Hiroshi couldn't bring himself to resent Sakaki for what had happened that day and was willing to make amends as long as Kaori kept him in-line; on the other, he had a feeling that placing his mother and Sakaki in the same room would be the equivalent of putting a can of gasoline in the same room as a box of matches.

"Please, sit," Kaori said.

Everyone sat down. Misaki sat right next to Hiroshi on the couch facing the window, wrapping her arms around him. Sakaki sat next to Kaori. Mana rolled to the middle of the room.

"I know this situation is a bit awkward," Kaori began, "but I think we can adjust to it. I paid for Sakaki-san's bail a while ago, and now he lives with me. He'll continue to live with me until the day of his trial. If his presence during our lessons makes you feel uncomfortable, just let us know."

"It makes _me_ uncomfortable," Misaki said coldly.

"I'm, er…well, he's not _hurting _anyone right now," Hiroshi said slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "So maybe it might be okay if he stayed for a while. And anyway, I'm not mad about…that day…"

"Oh, but _I am,"_ Misaki said in an even colder tone.

"And Mana-chan?" Kaori said.

"Uh…I don't know," Mana muttered. "Maybe he can stay just this time. Maybe."

"Whatever," Sakaki sighed. "I don't care."

Mana decided to change the subject: "Kaori onee-chan, are you okay? You look kind of tired."

"Oh, I've been resting all day, but I think I'll be fine now," Kaori said as she rubbed her eyes. "Now…" She reached for her violin case at the edge of the couch. She picked it up and stood to her feet, then stopped.

"Kaori onee-chan?" Mana asked. She leaned forward in her wheelchair.

"…just…wait…" Kaori breathed. Suddenly, she was seized up by a harsh cough.

"Kaori!" "Kaori onee-chan!" "Kaori-san!"

Everyone cried out at once as Kaori's body was shaken by the force of her coughing. She stopped after a few seconds and breathed, "I'm…o…ka—"

She gasped for air twice. Then, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in Sakaki's arms.

"_KAORI!"_ He shook her but she did not wake. "Kaori!"

"I…I'll go call an ambulance!" Misaki quickly said as she ran to look for the nearest phone. "Hiroshi, go get a glass of cold water! Mana, wait for the ambulance outside! Sakaki-san, check her breathing!"

Sakaki barely took in these commands around him. Right now, the only thing in his world that he could fully comprehend was the unconscious figure of Kaori Mana. He shook her gently and whispered, "Kaori? Kaori?"

He pressed an ear against her chest. She was still breathing, though shallowly. He parted her lips with his fingers. Then, he checked her pulse. It was still there, but it was very low.

He whispered, "Kaori? Can you hear me? Please…if you can hear me…" He gently shook her shoulder. "Kaori…"

Kaori's eyelids briefly fluttered open, then closed.

"Kaori, please," he choked out. "I can't lose you, too…"

He continued to hold her like this until the ambulance came.

* * *

The wait in the lobby was worse than medieval torture. With each ticking minute, Sakaki's stomach would clench and unclench. His throat was parched and his hands kept clenching together. He tried taking a few deep breaths, counting to ten, and taking his mind off the situation, but nothing worked. He could only sit and wait for a doctor to come out and tell him—and them—what was wrong with Kaori.

"Hey, Sakaki-san."

Sakaki looked up. Hiroshi was standing in front of him with a water bottle. "Do you want this?"

Sakaki grasped the cold plastic in his hands. "Thank you." As he unscrewed the cap, Misaki said, "Sakaki-san…I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. If our arguing upset Kaori so much, I'll try not to say anything else around her."

"Actually," Sakaki said as he tossed the cap aside into the nearest garbage bin, "she's been sick since last night. It's been on and off all day. She told you she was resting—that much is true. What she didn't tell you was that she woke up two hours later than she usually does, or that she's had a fever since around noon." He shook his head. "There are a lot of things she doesn't tell you…or me."

He leaned his head back and gulped down the water. It wasn't refreshingly ice cold, but it wasn't lukewarm either. It was just…cool.

"Does Kaori onee-chan also tell you she's okay even if it looks like she isn't?" Mana said as she looked up from the book she was trying to read.

"You, too, huh?" Sakaki muttered.

"Maybe we should ask her what's wrong," Hiroshi suggested.

"But is it any of our business?" Misaki said.

"I'm living with her now," Sakaki said. "It's my business." He crunched the half-filled bottle and tossed it aside.

Just then, a male doctor came out. "Sakaki-san? Kuzumi-san?"

The three of them stood up. Mana closed her book and rolled over to the doctor, the other three behind her.

"Well?" Sakaki prompted.

"Mana-san just had a fainting spell and is recovering," he assured them. "We'll keep her here overnight for observation. If nothing else happens, we'll send her home tomorrow. However," his face grew grim, "from my assessment, it's part of her…condition."

"What condition?" Sakaki asked. "Being a Kamibito?"

The doctor hesitated. "Yes and no. It's not normal for _all_ Kamibito, but for some individuals…actually, she told me that she wants to speak with all of you about it—just the children, and Sakaki-san. Her room is just down the hall…"

* * *

When they got to her room, Kaori was sitting up in bed smiling weakly. It was almost as though she hadn't fainted.

"Kaori onee-chan!" Mana exclaimed as she rolled over to her bed. "Are you okay?"

"For now, yes," Kaori said. She gave Mana a pitiful look. "I'm so sorry about tonight. I thought I was feeling better, but I sometimes overestimate myself."

"It's all right," Hiroshi said. "The important thing is that you get some rest. You'll be better by tomorrow, right?"

Kaori's smile fell. The bright look on her face was washed over by a look of sorrow. "Please, sit down," she said, gesturing to the two chairs near her bed. "There's something I need to tell you….something I should've told you a long time ago."

Sakaki and Hiroshi exchanged a look before sitting down.

"I'm sincerely sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Kaori said softly. "I'm just so used to having to hide my condition, and when I was told it was okay to not hide anymore, I still didn't feel okay with it. I just wanted to temporarily live under the illusion that I was all right, just for a little while. I didn't want anyone to worry, so I pretended I was fine." She gulped back a lump in her throat. "How selfish of me. Anyway…"

She drew a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "By now, you know about the Kamibito. Some of you also know that the Kamibito age a bit faster than humans." She paused. "What you might not know is that for some of us, the process is faster than others. You see…the true purpose of the Hakuro Kanon was to take the faster-aging individuals away before their condition could be noticed by other Kamibito, and the humans. It was to give us a life of solitude during our final days."

"Final…days…" Mana's voice barely rose above a whisper.

Kaori nodded. She took another deep breath as though to keep herself from crying. "This fast aging takes a toll on our bodies. It makes us sicker and weaker as the years go by. The faster we age, the sicker we become, until…" Another pause. "Until…eventually…our bodies just give out."

Silence draped over the room as the implications slowly sank in. Mana blinked and two teardrops fell from her eyes. She dared to say what was on their minds:

"And…Kaori onee-chan…are you….going to die…?"

The look on Kaori's face answered Mana's question much stronger than a confirmed 'yes' could have. In that moment, Hiroshi felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. Though Mana was closer to Kaori than he was, he could still feel her pain. And he still wished things could be different.

"Ka…Kaori onee-chan!" Mana burst out. She buried her face in Kaori's shoulder and started sobbing. Kaori gently hugged her and said, "It's all right, Mana-chan. I'm not going to die tomorrow. It won't be for a few more years."

"H-*hic*-how many?" Mana choked.

"It's different for every person," Kaori said slowly, "but…the longest most of us survive past the diagnosis is six years, maybe seven, so…it's all right."

"_No."_

Sakaki stood up. Shaking, he whispered, "How can you say that? It's _not_ all right."

"Sa, Sakaki-san," Kaori said, trying to steady her voice, "I've accepted this fate. I was told about this a few months ago, so…so I've decided that if I'm going to die, I just want to die in peace…"

"What about your violin?" Sakaki insisted, his voice growing louder. "What about the violin you so love? Are you just going to give that up?"

"Well…" Kaori blinked back tears. "It's not like I would've ever been able to become a professional violinist or anything since I couldn't have left the town…and in a few years, I might not be able to play it anymore, so—"

Sakaki slammed his hands down on the nightstand and screamed, _"How can you just give up!?_ Is this _really_ how you plan to live the last few years of your life!? Just by _wasting_ your life away and never making anything out of it _ever!?"_

It was then that Hiroshi saw the look of despair in Sakaki's eyes, and the tears rolling down his face.

"Sakaki-san," Kaori said, fighting past her own tears, "I already told you…the Kamibito culture is very different and you need to accept—"

"_Screw the Kamibito culture!"_ Sakaki screamed, slamming his fists down once more. "This has nothing to _do_ with the rest of _them!_ This is about _you_ and who _you_ are!" He sobbed, "Why…why are you just _giving up_ when you have _so much_ ahead of you…"

Hiroshi spun around at the sound of Kaori's door opening. Two hospitals orderlies came in. One of them said, "Sir, you'll have to leave this room, or leave the hospital. You're upsetting the other patients—"

"_Screw them!"_ Sakaki shrieked. _"Can't you see we're talking!?"_

He whipped towards Kaori. By now, tears were streaming down her face. "Sakaki-san," she whispered, "I think you need to go somewhere and calm down. I know you're upset, but…please…"

Sakaki looked back and forth between Kaori and the orderlies. Finally, he stormed out of the room.

Hiroshi turned to Kaori. "Should I go after him?"

Kaori nodded. "Please do," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm worried for him."

* * *

Sakaki stopped in the first empty room he came across: The conference room. The doors weren't locked, so he pushed them open and walked in. He collapsed into the nearest chair. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed in and out, thinking, _No, no, no, this can't be happening…this can't be…_

…_It is happening. It's not enough that I lost Mieko. Now…now I'm losing Kaori._

He let out a wail of despair and buried his face in his hands, sobbing harder than he had since Mieko's death. Hot tears stung his eyes and his nose clogged up as he thought about the harsh, unfair reality he lived in. Mieko had been murdered. At least he had someone to blame for that.

But with Kaori, who was dying….this was a cruel twist of fate.

And the worst part of it was, he had dared to raise his hopes that maybe, just maybe, he could have a peaceful life together with Kaori.

And now that had been taken away from him.

"D…damn it!" he hiccupped. "Damn!"

He put his head down on the table and wept for everything he had lost in the past, and was now losing in the present. His sobbing grew quieter, but the pain in his heart grew stronger.

* * *

Sakaki lost track of time. He could've been in that room for minutes, or hours, but he didn't care. The world around him was ending. Why not just succumb to it?

He was startled by the sound of the door opening. He sat up straight. Hiroshi stood in the door, his face wrenched with sympathy.

"Sakaki-san," he said gently, "I'm really sorry. Is it okay if I…?"

"Leave me alone," Sakaki said, his voice as hard as stone. "Please."

Hiroshi hesitated. He sighed, "All right. But I'll be waiting outside the doors."

"I can get home by myself," Sakaki said, his voice now dull.

Hiroshi opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. "Fine." He stepped back out and closed the door.

Sakaki wiped his face dry and muttered, "The last thing I need is his _pity."_ He paused. "Although…I guess it would've been worse if…_she…_came by."

Just as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve, the door opened again. He dropped his arm and snapped, "I thought I told you—oh," he said when another man came in.

It was Tatsuya Kasai.

"Sakaki-san," Tatsuya said as he walked up to him. "I came by to begin my interviews again, but I see that can wait." He sat next to him. "The Kuzumi boy told me what happened just now. I'm very sorry."

Sakaki sniffled. He said in a hoarse, bitter voice, "What the hell do _you_ know?"

"My mother passed away from the same condition," Tatsuya said, his expression unchanging. "It's hard, isn't it? To see the one you love slowly slip away from your grasp, knowing you can't do anything to stop it?"

Sakaki gulped. "I would do anything, anything, to stop it. I'd do anything to save her."

Tatsuya smiled. "Anything, you say?"


	9. God, That's Good!

Isuzu's birthday arrived on the twentieth. This year, her birthday landed on a Thursday, but a pipe had burst in the school's boiler room and lessons were cancelled, leaving the five friends free to spend the day together. After spending the morning watching a movie at the new cinema, they began to head for the forest to have a picnic lunch.

"Mo~ah, that movie was _sooo_ awesome!" Isuzu squealed as they walked out of the theatre. She nudged Hiroshi in the ribs. "Right, Hiro-kun?"

"Ah…I don't know about _awesome,"_ Hiroshi said slowly. "I thought the scene where the man was reunited with his dogs in the Antarctic was nice, but it came out of nowhere, had nothing to do with the story, and was never mentioned again. So why did they bother including that scene at all?"

"Because it was a good scene for the trailer?" Kaname suggested. "Would you have gone to see it if you knew it was actually a Japanese re-telling of a Victor Hugo classic?"

"Maybe, but what did that scene have to _do_ with anything?" Hiroshi asked.

"Um…maybe it's some kind of heavy-handed symbolism that our simple minds cannot comprehend?" Kaname suggested. "Like, perhaps, the two dogs represent his two inner demons? Though I don't remember that scene showing up in the book, either...like a lot of scenes..."

"Nemuru-chan, what did _you_ think of the movie?" Isuzu asked as she hopped over to Nemuru.

"It was all right, I suppose," Nemuru said. "I don't go to movies a lot."

"We should take you out more often!" Mana piped up. She giggled. "Although…I thought I saw you hiding your face during the kissing scene."

"Ah…" Nemuru's face reddened. "Well…that's because…well, kissing isn't something that should be done frivolously. One's first kiss should be saved for marriage. And considering what kissing leads to…well…"

Hiroshi smiled. Though he didn't say it outside, he understood that, for obvious reasons, the Kamibito were strictly opposed to frivolous, pre-marital dating. Of course, this rule wasn't true for _all_ Kamibito, if Isuzu's advances were anything to go by.

"By the way," Isuzu said, "how's Kaori-san?"

Hiroshi and Mana shared a glance. They were slowly coming to terms with Kaori's news, but that didn't make living with it any easier.

"Um…are you guys familiar with…" Hiroshi hesitated. "The true role of Hakuro Kanon? Never mind…we'll talk about it when we get there…"

* * *

"Wow," Isuzu said after Hiroshi told them. "That sounds awful…I've heard of that disease, but I don't think I've _known_ anyone with it…"

By now, they had reached their destination in the forest. After setting up the picnic lunch, Hiroshi and Mana had told the others about Kaori's condition and prognosis.

"She was so _calm_ when she told us," Mana said, focusing her eyes on the jar of fish sausages as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world. "Like she had _accepted _it. How can _anyone_ face that so _calmly?"_

"Well," Nemuru spoke up, "if she was so calm, perhaps she's known about her condition for a while now. The Kamibito chosen to take on the role of a Hakuro Kanon are usually given a prognosis months in advance before they're taken away. As I remember from what my uncle told me…" She stopped.

Kaname twisted a braid and bit her lower lip. "Poor thing…I can't imagine what this is like for her, or for you."

"Actually," Mana looked up, "it wasn't just onii-chan and I who were there. There was also…" She paused. _"That man."_

The only sound that passed through the group for nearly a whole minute was the wind brushing through the trees.

"And?" Nemuru spoke. "What was his reaction?"

"He…um…he got really, really upset," Mana said slowly.

"As though it were his lover dying?" Kaname suggested.

Mana cleared her throat and said, "Anyway…Nemuru-chan, isn't that company opening tonight?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes it is," Nemuru said, her voice lowering slightly. Her eyes flickered. "I'm going tonight. During my last meeting, I told the neighbourhood association that I would supervise as many evening discussions as I could just to make sure the research methods are legitimate, or at least, not illegal or harmful."

"How long will this go on for?" Isuzu asked, frowning.

"At least six weeks," Nemuru said, placing both hands in her lap. "The times and dates might change, and I might have to stay beyond that." Her gaze darted across her friends, and the forest behind them. She shifted in her spot and tried to sit up straight.

"You know, my mother's one of the researchers," Hiroshi piped up. "So at least you won't be alone."

Nemuru drew out a breath. "Thank you, Kuzumi-kun," she said. "At least I know one of his employees. Tatsuya Kasai has been very secretive about who's working for him. All he said at the last meeting was that he now had everyone he needed, and that I would get to meet some of them tonight." She gulped. "For now…let's just focus on the party."

She reached for the potato salad.

Her hand brushed against another.

Nemuru looked up and into the eyes of Hiroshi. "Ah…"

She quickly separated and looked away, her face redder than before. "Please, take all you want," she muttered. She tugged at the collar of her kimono, thinking, _It was just a small touch…that's all it was…_

"No, no, I insist…" Hiroshi laughed nervously.

Nemuru tried to look Hiroshi in the eye to suggest he go first, but quickly looked away. _Just a small touch…_

"So," Kaname spoke up, "how about you, Nemuru-chan?"

"Ye, yes, I'll go first," Nemuru muttered, looking anywhere but in Hiroshi's eyes. She rubbed her sweaty palms together, trying to ignore the funny feeling in her stomach.

* * *

As soon as Nemuru entered the centre later that evening, the first thing she noticed was how _busy_ the reception area was. There were many men and women in business suits either standing around or making small talk. Amidst them, a few reporters for the local newspaper attempted to squeeze through the crowd.

But she couldn't see Tatsuya Kasai among them.

"Ah, Kushinada-san!"

Nemuru gasped and jumped. She whipped around in the direction the voice came from. In front of her stood a woman with chin-length black hair and glasses, wearing a business suit.

"I'm Hiroshi and Mana's mother," the woman explained. "Misaki Kuzumi."

"Ah, r—right," Nemuru stammered. "Kuzumi-kun told me…" She cleared her throat. "I apologize."

"Oh no, it's all right," Misaki said with a wave of her hand. "I understand. You must be very nervous."

Nemuru nodded. "A bit, but it's still my duty to be here, as the head of the Kushinada household. Anyway…"

Misaki adjusted her glasses. "How do I look? I got a haircut this afternoon. You don't think it looks _too_ awful for the camera, do you?"

"I'm sure you'll—"

She was cut off by an announcement:

"Excuse me? Excuse me, ladies and gentleman!"

The soft buzz in the crowd faded as the voice went on:

"Thank you, thank you."

Tatsuya Kasai stepped forward with his head held high. "Thank you all for coming this evening. Just follow me this way to the conference room…"

* * *

After leading the crowd to the conference room like a shepherd leading a pack of sheep to a pasture, Tatsuya began his speech:

"I welcome you here on this night to witness what will come to be known as a landmark event in the history of Jougamachi." His eyes travelled amongst the crowd. Each person, like a child waiting to be read a bedtime story, had their eyes upon him. "This time next year, Jacobson's Organ Mutation Syndrome will be a thing of the past. And it is my honour to officially open our company—otherwise known as _Project Hassaku_—alongside the head of the Kushinada family. Ladies and gentlemen—I welcome Nemuru Kushinada."

Nemuru carried herself with the air of a royal princess as she walked over to Tatsuya. Though her heart was beating faster than the applause of the people around her, she calmly took her place beside him and announced, "Thank you, Tatsuya Kasai. For as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed for a day when the Kamibito could live in peace without the looming fear of succumbing to temptation. And now, I am glad to say that this dream will become a reality thanks to this man's vision. No—it could be better said that this wasn't just Tatsuya Kasai's vision, but rather, _our_ vision as a people. And thus, I am pleased to announce that from this night onwards, Project Hassaku will officially be opened…and the dream has begun."

She held her breath and waited for the crowd's reaction. A slow, steady applause rose and she let that breath out. Maybe not everyone would react kindly to her public support of this company, but maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe she could get through this with no complications whatsoever.

"A fine speech by our leader," Tatsuya said with a smile. "However, as said, this isn't just my vision alone. It is with the help of the people of Jougamachi that we will achieve this dream together. My employees are among you tonight. One of them is my new assistant—and this man, I guarantee, will play an essential role in leading us one step closer to the cure for Jacobson's Organ Mutation Syndrome." He gestured to the nearby right corner. "You may come forward."

Nemuru turned her head just as Tatsuya's new assistant came around the corner. Immediately, she gasped, "It can't be…!"

But it was.

"Good evening to you, too…._Kushinada,"_ Sakaki said in a saccharine voice. He smirked as he strutted over to the stunned teenager and pulled her in for a handshake.

"Ah…ah…" Any words Nemuru had on the tip of her tongue melted. Any second now, someone would emerge from the crowd and say "Fooled you!" Someone would reveal Sakaki had stolen his well-ironed suit and tie off the _real_ assistant, whom he had knocked out and tied up in the janitor's closet.

But no such thing happened. Instead, Tatsuya got between the two, wrapped his arms around them, and said, "Smile!" just as the cameras flashed.

But Nemuru did not smile. Instead of giving the cameras the dignified posture she had practiced for this moment, she gave them the look of a hen about to get its head chopped off.

* * *

Nemuru waited until after most of the crowd had cleared up before pulling Tatsuya and Sakaki aside to talk to them:

"I hope you're aware of…what happened…last month," Nemuru said, carefully choosing her words. "People are already spreading rumours about this company. What do you suppose _this_ would do?"

"What exactly?" Tatsuya said, keeping up his composure. "Hiring this man as my assistant? True, some might be aware of his past deeds, but as I've told him many times," he patted Sakaki on the shoulder, "his intellect matters more than his reputation. I believe he has the skills necessary to help me in my—in _our_—goal. Why do you have a problem with him being my assistant?"

"Ah…well…" Nemuru wondered how to put this without coming off as insulting. "We have some…personal history…"

"Yet I thought I heard you were willing to treat him as another new Kamibito, and not an old enemy?" Tatsuya asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That…that was back when he had _just_ become a Kamibito, and…" Nemuru's voice faltered.

"Need I remind you, Kushinada-san, that you did not supervise any of my job interviews?" Tatsuya pointed out. "You couldn't have been there for all of them, since you had to go to school during the day. The only issues you brought up during our meetings related to the company's practices, ethics, and ideals. You never said anything about whom I could hire or not hire. You didn't even give me a list of anyone you considered too objectionable. So strictly speaking, there was absolutely nothing that said I _couldn't_ hire this young man, isn't that right?"

Nemuru's face grew hot as she began to realize she had been had. And somehow, she doubted this would be the only time. She could only hope that this wouldn't be used against her by either the neighbourhood association _or _neighbourhood council.

"But if your personal issues with Sakaki-san are paramount to the promises of a brighter future we made to the Kamibito this night, then by all means order me to let him go," Tatsuya said with a pitiful smile. "I'm sure all those people will understand when you tell them that the company's progress will be temporarily slowed down until I can find a new assistant, all because my current one is not suited to your delicate needs."

Nemuru cleared her throat and fought past her humiliation long enough to speak: "That won't be necessary. If you believe that this man will make a good assistant, then go ahead and keep him."

"Splendid!" Tatsuya clapped his hands. "I'll leave you two alone for a moment to sort out your differences."

He strutted off, leaving the two enemies to stand face-to-face.

"So, Sakaki-san," Nemuru said, trying to keep her voice neutral. "I know we've had our share of problems in the past, but I am willing to put them behind us for now for the sake of this company, if you truly care about it."

Sakaki's smirk grew wider as he scoffed:

"Of course you are. But you _do_ realize the position you're in now, right? If you say a word against me, you'll look like the bad guy. 'The dream has begun', remember?"

"True," Nemuru said. She looked him in the eye. "But that doesn't mean I won't step in if I find out you and Kasai-san are up to something dangerous."

"Where do you think you'll _find_ that evidence?" Sakaki asked, stepping in closer. "You'll be supervising our meetings, right?"

Nemuru held her ground. "I said _if_ I find out. You're not implying that you _are_ up to something, are you?" She raised her eyebrows. "You know that if this _is_ the case, I _will _find out."

"And what will you do _then?"_ Sakaki scoffed.

Nemuru took another step closer. "I will do what's necessary to protect everyone in this town," she said, her voice unwavering.

"I see, I see," Sakaki mused.

Nemuru leaned in closer and whispered, "If revenge is what you're after, then please, don't do it at the cost of our people."

Sakaki grabbed Nemuru by the shoulders and whispered in her ear, "Rest assured, I won't kill you. Not yet, anyway. No, I think I'll savour our precious few months together. I won't kill you, but by the end of all this, you'll be _begging_ for death. And I will _gladly_ oblige."

Nemuru resisted the urge to squirm in his grasp, and instead glared. He let go of her and said, his smirk never wavering, "So tell me, Kushinada….are you ready for this torture?"

Nemuru shook his hand. "By all means," she said coolly.

Just then, Tatsuya came back and said, "Sakaki-san. Kushinada-san. It's time to come in."

Sakaki and Nemuru exchanged a curt nod and followed Tatsuya to the conference room. As Tatsuya pushed the door open and the three of them walked inside past the blinding camera flashes, Nemuru thought:

_Is this the beginning of the end?_


	10. Nostalgia

A/N: In this case, "Nostalgia" (or "kyoushuu") refers to a piece from "G-Senjou no Maou" (in turn, the song is an arrangement of "Piano Sonata No. 14" by Ludwig van Beethoven): watch?v=vV0blv6wlIY

* * *

The following day, Nemuru explained the situation to her friends at lunch. None dared to speak up until Nemuru had finished speaking, to which Isuzu burst out:

"But _why_ would he want to hire _him!?_ Doesn't he know _anything_ about what happened last month?"

"Kasai-san _claimed_ the reason why was because he valued Sakaki-san's 'intellect' more than his 'reputation'," Nemuru replied as she tried and failed to pick up a rice ball with her chopsticks. "But I doubt that's the _real_ reason."

"Then what _is_ the reason?" Hiroshi asked.

"That's what I'm wondering," Nemuru said, looking out at the city and mountains. "Sakaki-san might know. He hinted at it."

"Nemuru-chan," Kaname said, taking both of Nemuru's hands in hers, "from now on, every time we meet up for lunch on this roof, you'll give us 'Sakaki-san updates'."

Nemuru blinked. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Basically," Kaname explained, "you report to us the day after a meeting and tell us how Sakaki-san was acting, or if there was anything suspicious about him—like, if he said something, or acted a certain way. Then we might be able to figure out what he's up to together! What do you say, Suzu-chan? Hakase-kun?"

Isuzu and Hiroshi agreed with Kaname. Seeing that there was no way the others would let her say no, Nemuru agreed, though she wasn't sure what this would accomplish.

But the first week wore on with no incident. For a moment, Nemuru thought that nothing _would_ happen and that she was just being paranoid.

* * *

"…and thus, if we educate the children of Jougamachi about this surgery, they might be more likely to…"

Nemuru's mind wandered as the man droned on and on about a new possible method to introduce the research to school systems. As always, she was keeping a sharp eye on Sakaki's behaviour. As always, he did nothing out of the ordinary. Once in a while, he would bring up a point or make notes, but he didn't do anything to indicate he was planning to go on another murderous rampage for revenge.

Her eyes flicked over to the small day-by-day page calendar on the table. Today was Sunday, October 30. There was something important about tonight, but _what?_ Nemuru remembered Kaname mentioning some kind of pagan holiday coming up, but that wasn't it. Hiroshi had said his birthday would be sometime next week, but _that_ wasn't it, either. It was something related to tonight's meeting.

"Kushinada-san?"

"Yes?" Nemuru's attention snapped up.

"Aren't you going to give us _your_ proposal?" Tatsuya asked. "At the end of our last meeting, you said you would work on a response to my suggestion that we introduce our research into the Jouga education system. What have you to say?"

"Yes, Kushinada," Sakaki said as he leaned back in his seat. "What _do_ you have to say?"

"Ah…well…" Nemuru looked above Sakaki and said, "I think Mori-san made a few excellent points."

"Yes, but what's _your_ point?" Sakaki asked. He drummed his fingers on the table.

"Perhaps you just need to step outside the room for a minute to go over your plan?" Misaki suggested.

"No, I think she can answer us here and now," Sakaki said as he stroked his chin. "So, Kushinada—what _do_ you think of the idea of teaching the children of Jougamachi about our plans for their future?"

_What _were _the basic arguments?_ Nemuru thought. _Well, maybe I should start with saying what I think of the idea._

"For starters," Nemuru said, "I think we should be careful. Most of their parents will hold a conservative viewpoint. Not all of them will be happy to hear that their children are being taught the opposite of what they're trying to teach."

"And what would that be?" Sakaki asked with a bored yawn.

"That they should honour who they are as Kamibito instead of embracing something that would change their identity," Nemuru said, going off the few criticisms she had heard.

"So you think this is a bad idea, then," Sakaki said, folding his arms across his chest.

"No, of course not!" Nemuru said quickly. "I'm just giving reasons why the _parents_ would think this is a bad idea."

"And?" Sakaki asked. "If the _parents_ would be opposed to it, does that mean we _shouldn't_ do it?"

Nemuru's muscles tensed. "Hasn't _every_ new idea been opposed at one point or another?" she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "Regardless of what the parents might or might not say—"

"Then why did you bring it up at all?" Sakaki asked, raising an eyebrow. "It couldn't be because you think this _is_ a bad idea and you're looking for any excuse to not say it outright, could it?"

Nemuru clenched her teeth and said, "Of course not. We _should_ go through with it regardless of what the parents might say."

"Then why didn't you just say so?" Sakaki asked.

"I agree," a male worker piped up. "I'm also curious by your choice of words. You used the words 'honour' and embrace' and the phrase 'change their identity'. Forgive me for asking, but do you still have faith in our project?"

Nemuru's face grew hot as she suppressed the urge to scream. She took a deep breath and said, "I apologize if my choice of words offended you. I will try to keep what you said in mind. However," she took on a firm tone, "I am still the head of the Kushinada family and I request for you to keep that in mind as you make your suggestions."

A calm silence settled over the group. Nemuru let out a breath and said, "Now then...on to the matter at hand..."

* * *

As soon as the meeting was over, Nemuru hurried for the front doors as fast as she could. Misaki walked beside her while the other employees walked around them.

"Are you holding up all right?" Misaki asked. Her heels clicked together. "I would've crumbled back there."

"I can manage," Nemuru said, looking straight ahead. "I knew this position wouldn't be easy, but it's one I have to do."

Misaki glanced over her shoulder. She huddled closer to Nemuru and whispered, "If Sakaki-san is giving you too hard a time, just let me know and I'll take care of it."

The corners of Nemuru's mouth turned up, but didn't spread. "Thank you, but I can handle him by myself. If he's up to something dangerous, I'll tell you."

"Hiroshi told me about your history," Misaki began, but Nemuru said, "Please. Right now, he is just a mild nuisance. I can handle that much. I would rather deal with him alone when he is like this than when he's…the way he was last month."

The brief silence between them grew thick.

"Understood," Misaki said with a brief nod. "And you promise you'll let me know if he escalates?"

"Of course," Nemuru said. By now, the two had approached the reception area.

"Well, then," Misaki said as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Nemuru nodded. "Good night."

* * *

Nemuru let out a long sigh as she slid into the hot, soothing waters of her bathtub. For the first time all evening, she began to relax as she soaked her limbs and splashed water on her face. She leaned her head against the wall and thought back to her earlier conversation with her friends over lunch. They had chatted about Kaname's fascination with Western bathtubs—apparently, Westerners put their bathtubs in the same room as their _toilets_. Nemuru couldn't wrap her mind around this concept, nor could she figure out how the topic had drifted to bathtubs to begin with. Perhaps it had begun when Hiroshi and Isuzu had discussed their own Western bathrooms in their apartments? Something like that? Nemuru shook her head and laughed.

And then the conversation had shifted to another 'Sakaki-san update'.

"He still hasn't said or done anything suspicious," Nemuru had said. "Part of me wonders when this 'torture' is supposed to begin."

"Maybe it's already begun," Kaname had suggested.

Now, as Nemuru rested her chin on her knees and gazed at her reflection in the water, she wondered if Kaname had been right.

She closed her eyes. Sakaki had said she would be begging for death by the end of it. But why would she? The only thing Sakaki had succeeded in doing was giving her a rising urge to slap him across the face. He couldn't actually think acting slightly unpleasant would be enough to make her want to die.

Unless he had something else planned….

But what could that _be?_ It couldn't be another town war, could it? Or maybe he was re-focusing his revenge on a smaller scale and directing all his rage towards Nemuru, and just Nemuru. Would he find a way to get his revenge without getting his hands dirty? Or would he damn himself just for the temporary pleasure of having his hands clasped around her throat, smiling as she gasped and choked for air?

Gasping, Nemuru's eyes shot open and she rubbed her collarbone. She sighed, thinking, _I can't just let my imagination run away like that._

The image of Sakaki's deranged smile faded out, only to be replaced by another: Sakaki's smirk as he had tried to denounce her that evening. The way he had smiled at her, the way he spoke to her, the way he _looked_ at her, was enough to make her head spin and heart race.

Yes, it was indeed a strange feeling…one that preyed on her mind from the moment he had vowed to destroy her. It wasn't strong enough to be hatred, nor weak enough to be passing. It just _was._

Then again…it wasn't like Sakaki was furious at her without reason. She _had_ killed his fiancée…

Even after she had seen the tears in Mieko's eyes….

She could've turned back.

But she hadn't.

Instead, she had swung the scythe. Within that second, from the very moment the scythe had been struck down, she had ruined his life, and hers.

Nemuru splashed water on her face and sighed. Her eyelids were drooping. Soon, she would have to get out and get ready for bed.

* * *

"I'm home," Sakaki announced as he came in through the front doors.

Kaori, who sat on the couch, looked up from the book she was reading. She closed the book, stood up, and said with her usual smile, "Welcome back. How was your day?"

"All right," Sakaki said. He knew better than to tell Kaori about his petty ways of taunting Nemuru. She would probably scold him, not that he would blame her.

"I'm glad to hear that," Kaori said. "Are you hungry? Do you want any leftovers?"

Sakaki shook his head and loosened his tie. "No thank you." He paused. "Kaori? How do you feel?"

Kaori's eyes flickered. "I'm feeling fine. Really," she added. "My illness tends to come and go. And today was a good day."

Sakaki nodded. "Good."

The two of them stood in an uncomfortable silence. Sakaki wondered if Kaori was thinking about the day she had come home from the hospital after her confession. He knew he couldn't get it out of his mind.

When Kaori had arrived home, having been driven back by Misaki, she had apologized to Sakaki for not telling him sooner: "There were so many times when I thought about telling you, but each time, I would look into your eyes and the words wouldn't come out."

Sakaki had hesitated before saying, "What was it like when you were first told?"

At this, Kaori had a far-off look in her eyes. "I was numb, but I still cried." She had struggled to hold back tears. "In the end, I knew there was nothing that could be done for me. The one thing I could do was to wait for the day I'd be taken away to become a Hakuro Kanon. And after that, I would live a few more years quietly, and then…" She had turned to him and smiled. "But all that changed after I met you."

When he had asked how, she had turned away and said she had to rest for a few minutes.

She hadn't gone back to the hospital since, but her health had been up and down. She wasn't as sick as she had been in the days leading up to her hospital visit, but she still grew weary if she worked herself too hard.

Now, she appeared to have been telling the truth. She looked fine. But did that mean she _was_ fine?

In the present, Sakaki said, "So…about the hospital…"

Kaori lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry for my outburst," Sakaki said with a sigh. "But I still think you should try to pursue your dream, at least once. So if I see any opportunities for you to perform the violin, I'll let you know."

"Thank you," Kaori said, though she didn't look Sakaki in the eye. "Thank you for trying to make me happy. But right now, just having you around makes me happy." Her cheeks turned pink.

"Kaori? You're not getting another fever, are you?" Sakaki tried to feel her forehead, but Kaori jerked back. She stammered, "Ah—well—I meant…" She changed the subject: "So, how are you holding up with the news?"

"Better," Sakaki said. He wondered if he should tell Kaori his reason for accepting Tatsuya's offer, but decided against it and changed the subject: "I think I'll go shower and get ready for bed now."

"Good," Kaori said with a nod and smile. "Good night. And Sakaki-san…"

"Yes?"

Kaori kept opening and closing her mouth. She kept looking away and blushing. Finally she said:

"Take care. From now on…I promise I will tell you when I'm not feeling well."

She briskly walked towards the stairs, not looking back. Sakaki flopped onto the couch and sighed. He put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling, which had no cracks or chipped paint. Kaori would live. Her illness would soon be a thing of the past. He was sure of that. That was what Tatsuya had told him. That was what he had _promised._

"_If you were to become my assistant, you would have many benefits, dear boy. Take dear Kaori-san, for example—when we're ready to perform our first experimental brain surgery next year, I could put in a good word and place her at the top of the list. It's a gamble, but I believe it just might be possible for her to be cured through this surgery. Of course, it wouldn't reverse the effects her aging would have on the rest of her body, but it might halt the process. She could still have a chance at living a much, much longer life. Just envision it: After emerging from her surgery, you lie by her side and hold her hand until she wakes up. In the following months, she regains her strength and throws herself back into the violin once more. She returns to university to study musical theory in depth and soon, she blossoms into a violin legend. She travels around Japan from city to city, playing for an audience of one thousand. The whole time, she has you by her side. You are always in the back of the theatre, watching and listening. She plays and plays until she can play no more and finally, at the age of eighty-one, she passes away in her sleep, along with you, together._

"_But…there is still one obstacle to this. Nemuru Kushinada. It is her job to enforce the laws of Jougamachi. Oh sure, she's working to improve upon the rather savage, barbaric laws of the past, but she has also shown signs of hesitancy towards this project. I fear the words of the change-fearing individuals of Jougamachi are seeping into her heart. If she has any reason to suspect us, she could pull the plug on our project just like that."_

Sakaki clenched his fists at the thought. He couldn't deny Tatsuya's words from that night. If _she_ decided for whatever reason that this project just wasn't good enough for her, _she_ would put a stop to it. She had taken everything away from him once. Why wouldn't she do it again?

"_Oh, but that's not to say it would be baseless. She would have her reasons. We just won't _give _her a reason. And if we should, by accident, of course…we will deal with it together. As for how…I have my ways."_

Not that Sakaki cared about the 'how'; the important thing was making sure _she_ was out of the way.

"Kaori," Sakaki whispered, "no matter what…I will absolutely save you."


	11. Not While I'm Around

"So today's the day, huh?"

"Indeed."

Sakaki and Tatsuya stood on the roof of the center. A light autumn breeze scooped up the few dying leaves on the cement roof and, like a graceful bird, flew across the city, above the heads of the passing citizens. The people who walked the streets down below looked like ants.

"How are we supposed to actually _do_ this?" Sakaki asked. He crushed a used cigarette beneath his shoes.

"A Kamibito patient is coming in today for a new round of medication," Tatsuya said. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Cigarette?"

Sakaki reached for the pack, then pulled his hand back. He sighed, "No thank you. As much as I'd love to…"

"Understood," Tatsuya nodded. He put the pack back in his pants pocket. "I'm still trying to quit myself." He chuckled, "As you can see, that's easier said than done. But anyway…the patient places a certain amount of trust in the center." He smiled. "Would they ever know the difference between the actual capsules, and ones containing certain reactive chemicals? Or if one of the doctors suggested an MRI follow-up, just to make sure everything's as it should be?"

He raised his eyebrows. Sakaki said, "I get it. And my role in this is…?"

Tatsuya leaned in closer. "One of my men will be waiting for us in the stairwell. He'll have our bottle of capsules in hand. You take it and give it to Dr. Fukuyama—he's our inside man. Wait outside his office until his current appointment is over. Tell him it's for my 'hay fever allergies'. He'll know what it means."

"That's it?" Sakaki said, raising his eyebrows. "No offense, but I was expecting something a little more cloak-and-dagger."

"Ahaha," Tatsuya laughed. "You'll get that eventually. For now, just take baby steps."

A quiet breeze blew past. Sakaki wasn't sure if it was this, or Tatsuya's words, that suddenly made him shiver.

* * *

_Geez, how long does a simple check-up take nowadays?_ Sakaki thought as he stood in the hall and glanced at his wristwatch. He stifled a yawn and leaned against the wall, whistling a small tune.

He had been standing outside Dr. Fukuyama's office for nearly twenty minutes. He hoped he didn't come off as _too_ suspicious to the various doctors and nurses passing by. Then again, nobody really stopped to look at him. They probably thought he was just another patient waiting for his turn, or maybe they thought he just wanted to go over the company's research with the doctor. Sakaki smirked as he thought, _Funny, isn't it, how no one ever stops to think that a stranger could be doing something illegal right under their very nose._

Although, this technically wasn't _illegal;_ just…dodgy. It would be far from the only dodgy thing Sakaki had done.

Sakaki stepped back and leaned against the wall. Two doctors walked by holding cups of coffee, chatting. A relaxed team of paramedics pushed an empty stretcher ahead. An Ochibito woman (damn, he'd always identify the rest of _them_ by their smell) carried her sleeping child. Around him, he could smell sweet honey and sterile sanitizer.

Sakaki turned his head in time for the door to open. Dr. Fukuyama, a man with gray hair and a pointed face, stepped out with a smiling couple. "…and I would recommend having a cup of ginger tea to alleviate the symptoms," he finished. "Have a good day."

The man wrapped his arm around the woman's waist and rubbed her stomach. His diamond ring glinted under the ceiling light. Sakaki sighed and shook his head, thinking, _Oh you poor, poor bastard._

He cleared his throat and said, "Ah, Dr. Fukuyama?"

He walked up to Dr. Fukuyama and said, "This is for Kasai-san's hay fever allergies." He pulled the bottle out from his pocket.

"Understood," Dr. Fukuyama said with a teeth-baring grin. He took the bottle and walked past Sakaki as though he were a stranger.

Part of Sakaki wondered if he should stick around to see what would happen. The other part warned him it might not be wise to linger around any longer, lest he be held accountable for what might or might not happen to the poor patient.

Or maybe nothing _would_ happen.

After standing around for another few seconds, Sakaki sighed, "What the hell," and went back to the conference room for the start of another research discussion.

* * *

Two days later, during an afternoon meeting, two of the researchers came back with the results of a recent MRI scan on the brains of two, different Kamibito patients, along with their separate blood tests. As the researches delved into the biological details behind it—each contained the same hormone levels yet different reactions to various stimuli—Sakaki looked over at Tatsuya. He was absolutely stoic and would interject an occasional, "Yes" or "I see".

Sakaki knew these 'mysterious' results appearing on the same day he gave Dr. Fukuyama the 'hay fever allergy' medicine was no coincidence. But what exactly _happened?_ How did one of these patients—or both—react to the capsules? Such details could only be left to the imagination.

Sakaki shifted his glance over to Misaki. She met his eyes. He looked away. Immediately, he realized the mistake behind this. What if she suspected something? Or did she already suspect something?

_What the hell, she can't actually PROVE it,_ Sakaki thought with a shrug. He turned his attention back to the researchers, pretending to listen to their every word.

* * *

Sakaki had long grown accustomed to walking around town. His feet and legs had built up some resistance, so he wasn't too sore by the time he returned to Kaori's house late in the afternoon. Still, a part of him considered getting a car, just for convenience, if only so he could take Kaori around town just so she wouldn't have to push herself so much.

As he walked up the steps, he caught whiff of another honey-like scent. It wasn't as strong as Hiroshi's, but it was significant enough to detect. Another Ochibito was here. But whom?

Sakaki stopped at the front door. He heard two female voices chatting, both bright and cheerful. One of them was Kaori. The other sounded vaguely familiar. He had heard this other woman's voice before from _somewhere…_but _where?_

As Sakaki wondered if he should risk being rude or not, Kaori opened the door with her usual smile. "Ah, welcome home!" she said.

"I'm back," Sakaki said with a nod. The familiar scent of tea hung in the air. "You have a guest?"

"Yes, please come in," Kaori urged, stepping back. Sakaki stepped inside and removed his shoes. Beside them was a pair of faded green slippers that looked familiar. "I felt much better today, so I stepped outside to play the violin. This lovely woman came by and we've been chatting ever since. I didn't realize we were talking for so long."

The woman sat on the couch with her back faced to the couple. She stood up and turned to face Sakaki with a warm smile. Her chin-length black hair framed her face, where a pair of glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. She wore a pink, knitted cardigan over a green dress.

Now, Sakaki recognized her, and he took a step back, feeling his stomach drop. He said only one word:

"Mother?"

His mother smiled and said, "Yes, son, it's me." She dashed over to Sakaki and pulled him in for a gripping hug. "It's been so, so long since I've seen you!" In between his gasps for air, she asked, "How have you been? How's your diet? Are you exercising? Have you had a healthy bow—"

"_Mother!"_ Sakaki gasped.

"Ah, sorry, sorry," she quickly said. She let go of Sakaki and brushed his cheek with her fingertips. "I was so worried about you. Do you realize how long it's been since we last spoke?" Her voice grew softer. "I understand things must've been so hard for you after…what happened…such a shame, too. Poor thing...I only wish I could've been there to help you through your loss. I wanted you to come home, just for a little bit."

"Mother," Sakaki turned away. "Please."

Just then, the door opened and in came Hiroshi and Mana. "Hi, Kaori onee-chan—eh?" Mana said as she rolled in further. "Who are you?"

"I'm Sachiko Mukata," Sakaki's mother spoke. She pulled her son in for another suffocating hug. "And this is my little Junichi!"

"Wait, so…you're Sakaki-san's mother?" Hiroshi said. Of course, the idea wasn't impossible, but thinking of Sakaki as someone who had a mother…well…

"Junichi?" Mana piped up. "But I thought his first name was Shunichirou, right?"

"Y—yeah," Sakaki gasped.

Sachiko let go and said, "Sorry, I'll let you talk."

"Right…well," Sakaki sighed, "the cat's out of the bag. My real name is Junichi Mukata. 'Shunichirou Sakaki' was an alias I took on when I came to Jougamachi two years ago."

"Oh," Hiroshi said, blinking. "So, Saka—er, Mukata-san…um…"

"Just keep calling me 'Sakaki-san'," Sakaki said, loosening up his tie. "Consider it our special nickname."

"Sure," Hiroshi said awkwardly.

Tears fell from Sachiko's eyes as she said, "Look at you…all dressed up for a fancy business meeting…"

"Not tonight," Sakaki said. "I just got back."

"Right, right," Sachiko murmured. "I'm glad…"

"Anyway," Sakaki said, "I'm going to get changed out of this suit."

He walked down the hall towards his bedroom. During the walk he thought, _Damn it, mother, why did you have to come by NOW?_

Furthermore, _why_ had she come now? Had she heard about what had happened at the Hassaku festival? As far as Sakaki knew, his real name had never been leaked out to the press. And besides, the media's primary focus had been on the newly-found existence of the Kamibito, not on the people behind it.

Then again, if his picture had been show for even a brief second, his mother might have recognized it. Or would she? What if she was here just for a simple visit?

Who was he kidding? Nothing in his life had ever been 'simple' for the past four years.

Sakaki had reached his bedroom. The rose-patterned curtains were drawn, leaving a dim sunlight in the room. He walked over to the dresser and pulled open a drawer.

* * *

"…So…what should we call you?" Mana asked, breaking the silence.

Hiroshi and Sachiko were now seated. Kaori had taken the nearly-empty teapot and cups back to the kitchen.

"Sachiko-san will do just fine," Sachiko said with the same, bright smile. Beneath the smile, Hiroshi could see a hint of sadness, but he chose not to comment on this.

"Sachiko-san," Hiroshi said, "it's nice to meet you." He bowed his head.

"Ah, nice to meet you," Mana said quickly, bowing her head as well.

"Oh, you don't need to worry yourselves with any formalities," Sachiko said with a small laugh. "We can all get along just fine here. May I ask what your names are?"

Hiroshi and Mana introduced themselves. After Mana explained how her name was in katakana and Hiroshi's name was written with the characters for 'professor', Sachiko sighed, "Ah, yes, I remember the days of comparing how my name was written in comparison with the other kids in my neighbourhood…mine is written with the characters for 'help', 'wisdom', and 'child', in that order. It was a bit of a pain to write out in school because I would often get impatient and want to get out early, but I'd have to still write my name down, so I started referring to myself with the hiragana spelling. Now, I only sometimes do that when I'm writing to close acquaintances."

Kaori returned and said, "Sorry to make you wait. Sachiko-san, would you prefer sitting in on Mana-chan's violin lesson?"

"Of course, of course," Sachiko said, laying her hands on her knees.

"Kaori onee-chan," Mana's expression grew solemn, "are you sure you're up to it tonight?"

"Of course," Kaori said as she picked up her violin and bow.

"If you feel sick, just let us know, okay?" Mana said, her brow creasing with worry.

"Ah, Mana," Hiroshi piped up, "I don't think it's polite to talk about…you know, such things…in front of strangers."

"Sorry!" Mana said quickly, bowing her head.

"No, no, it's all right," Kaori assured her as she rested her chin on her shoulder. "I already told Sachiko-san about my condition." She smiled sadly. "There's not much good in hiding it anymore, is there?"

"Are you sure you can manage with just you and Junichi?" Sachiko asked. "If you want, I could move in here and help out a bit."

"We'll be fine for now," Kaori said. "But if you want to talk about it with Sakaki-san, you may. If we need your help, we'll let you know."

"By the way," Hiroshi said, "are you staying in the city?"

"Yes," Sachiko said as she smoothed out the creases of her dress. "Actually, I moved in to the same apartment complex as you last night."

"Really?" Mana said as she opened her own violin case.

Sachiko nodded and added, "I live on the first floor." She rubbed her knees. "This knees aren't what they used to be. But anyway, I'm being rude. Please begin."

As Kaori and Mana went over the notes together, Hiroshi leaned back on the couch, smelling the faint lingering of tea. Tonight's melody spoke of a small hope slowly dying along with the voice of a swan gracing the waters, of days fading away with the sunset, of a love hoping to live on and yet, still dying.

Hiroshi blinked back tears. He turned his focus away from the music and onto his surroundings. Kaori looked happier, but Mana's eyes were on Kaori's face, as though she would faint again. Sachiko didn't appear to be invested in the music. She was looking down at her lap and stroking her chin. Was she thinking about her reason for coming to Jouga? Had she found out the truth about her son?

A small creak snapped up Hiroshi's attention. Sakaki was standing a few feet away from the couch, now dressed in casual clothes. His eyes briefly met Hiroshi's, then looked away. He fixed his gaze upon Kaori. What was he thinking in this moment? Was he admiring her music, her beauty? Was he thinking about how few days they had left?

Sakaki's eyes shifted back to Hiroshi—no, Hiroshi realized, to Sachiko. Was he glad to see his mother? Or was he angry? Afraid? Ashamed?

Who ever knew what Sakaki was _really_ thinking nowadays?

_What about Nemuru-san?_ Hiroshi thought. _What does he think of _her?

The song came to a dying close, and Sachiko stood up. She walked over to Sakaki. Hiroshi was tempted to follow, but decided to stay for the rest of the lesson. It would be rude to interrupt a mother-son reunion.

* * *

"So we meet again," Sakaki said as his mother approached him.

"Yes, we do," Sachiko said briskly. She looked over her shoulder. "Kaori-san is such a delightful woman. What a pity about her condition…" She turned back to Sakaki with a look of pity in her eyes. "I know this is painful for you. Believe me, I do."

"At least you and father had a chance to be happy together," Sakaki said, his voice stiff.

Sachiko lowered her voice. "Junichi…I came here for a reason. I know about the Hassaku festival, and your role in it." The look in her eyes hardened.

"And?" Sakaki said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "How did you know it was _me?"_

"I saw your picture on the news," Sachiko said. She steadied her breathing. "I want to hear it from you."

Sakaki looked over at Kaori, who was showing Mana how to play the other notes. "What do you want to know?"

"That…" Sachiko gulped. "That you're still the son I raised."

"And what son was that?" Sakaki asked coldly. "The naïve little boy who thought the power of love could save the day?"

"The boy who knew it was wrong to kill another human being," Sachiko said.

"I…" Sakaki stopped himself. Of course, he wasn't going to tell his mother about Shigetsugu or the man he had killed to get Shigetsugu's report. He chose his words carefully: "I didn't actually _kill_ anyone that day."

"But you were going to," Sachiko said. "And you would have if it weren't for that courageous boy." She shook her head. "That poor girl…"

Sakaki clenched the fabric in his pockets. "So _that's_ the version the media went with, _huh?_ They made _her_ out to be the victim and _me_ as the bad guy? Did they even once mention what _she_ had done, how _she_ killed Mieko?"

Sachiko remained calm. "One wrong cannot resolve another, Junichi. Killing her wouldn't bring Mieko back."

"You think I _don't_ know that?" Sakaki said a bit louder than he had intended. He looked around his shoulder. Kaori and Mana had stopped talking. They, and Hiroshi, were now looking at Sachiko and Sakaki.

"Sorry," Sakaki muttered, lowering his eyes.

"Well, now," Sachiko said as she reached for her purse on the counter, "I think I should be heading home now. The radio said it might rain tonight." She tilted her son's chin up. "Don't forget what I told you." She turned to leave. "I'll be around if you need me."

As she headed for the door, she smiled and said, "See you later" to Kaori, Hiroshi, and Mana.

"Ah…bye-bye," Mana said, waving awkwardly.

Before laving, Sachiko walked over to Kaori and whispered only one thing:

"Take care of Junichi."

* * *

"What were you and Sachiko-san talking about?" Kaori asked. It was now dinner time. She and Sakaki sat together at the table and ate curried rice. Outside, the steady drops of rain plopped onto the roof. It was a low noise, not loud enough to disturb their dinner, nor too quiet to leave it unnoticed.

"Stuff," Sakaki said, scooping the rice and turning it over on the plate.

"What 'stuff'?" Kaori asked, blending the curry and rice together before scooping it up and sliding the spoon into her mouth.

"Things related to the Hassaku Festival," Sakaki sighed.

Kaori stiffened. "That day, huh?" she muttered. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but…did she say anything about Mieko-san?"

Sakaki nodded. He ate a few spoonfuls of rice.

"What did she say?" Kaori asked. She took a sip of water.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sakaki said. He ate another spoonful of the curried rice and said, "This curry is delicious, far better than what was served in university."

"Thank you," Kaori said. "But I'd still like to know what your mother said."

"If I tell you, will you promise not to say if you agree or disagree with her?" Sakaki asked.

"If you have to say that, then that probably means I will," Kaori said with a slight smile. "But fine, I won't pry any further." She paused. "Sakaki-san…I've given some thought to what you said a few days ago, about how I should still pursue my dreams. And I've decided you might be right. There are some things I long for that I wish to cherish over these last few years, things I had almost given up on until I met you…and I will act on at least one of those desires."

She bit her lip. "Sakaki-san…um…"

Sakaki frowned. He had a feeling she wasn't going to ask about playing the violin, but in that case, what _was_ she asking for?

Kaori drew a deep breath and said, "I want us to deepen our relationship. By that I mean…ah…will you go on an outing with me? Sometime this weekend?"

Her cheeks turned pink. Sakaki sat and took Kaori's words in. He said slowly, "An outing…do you mean a date?"

"Y—yes!" Kaori piped up. "A date! Will you go on a date with me? As your…girlfriend? Or potential girlfriend?" Her cheeks flushed deeper.

_Girlfriend? Kaori wants to be my….girlfriend? So then…_

Did she share these feelings he had for her? Did she, too, have an aching urge to spend every day with him until her dying day? Or did she just have a small crush?

Furthermore, was it even a good idea for them to start up any kind of romance, even a gentle one?

_But then again…Kaori might be cured,_ his mind reasoned. _One year from now, she could be waking up from that surgery. Twenty years from now, I could be accompanying her on a world violin tour…_

And if she wasn't?

Of course she would be.

She _had_ to be.

"Sakaki-san?" Kaori said, her voice breaking up. "Please say _something."_

"I…" Sakaki cleared up the frog in his throat and said, "I would love to."

"Really?" Kaori asked, her smile beginning to brighten.

"Yes," Sakaki said with a quick nod. "I don't have anything scheduled for work on Saturday, so…maybe we could go for a walk through that forest you love? And have a picnic supper?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful," Kaori said, her whole face lighting up. "I could make you some of your favourite dishes if you want. Should I bring the violin?"

"Only bring as much as you can carry," Sakaki said, feeling his heart skip a beat as they continued to talk about their—their—_date._ Their actual _date._ "And if you don't feel well that night, don't push yourself."

"I'll try my best to stay healthy," Kaori said, loosening up her shawl. "We could spend the day preparing the dishes, and…"

The two continued to chat about their upcoming date, getting swept up in the unreal reality of it all.

* * *

"Ah! Excuse me!" Nemuru apologized as she rushed past a man in a raincoat. She clenched the wooden umbrella as she rushed down the cold, windy, rainy streets of the New Town. She took one, precarious step onto the bridge, trying not to slip, shivering as the wind struck her bare arms, silently cursing herself for not changing out of her school uniform. Earlier, her father had sent her out on a shopping errand to get some more Hassaku and milk. At the time, there had only been a few drops of rain. Now, the rain poured down ruthlessly as Nemuru balanced her shopping basket over her shoulder with one arm while also attempting to hold on to the umbrella and avoid soaking her kimono.

"Kushinada-san?"

Nemuru looked up. In front of her stood Hiroshi, who was drenched by the rain. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was just on an errand," Nemuru said, raising her voice above the rain's downpour. "And you, Kuzumi-kun?"

"I was out buying…" Hiroshi hesitated. "Ah…an airplane model. For my dad," he quickly added. "I left a few minutes ago, but it's started to rain, so I'm heading home."

"So am I," Nemuru said. She frowned. "Why don't you have an umbrella?"

"I thought I wouldn't need one," Hiroshi said sheepishly. "It wasn't raining _that_ badly when I left."

Nemuru sighed and shook her head. She walked over to Hiroshi and held her umbrella over his head. "Ah, thank you, Kushinada-san," Hiroshi said. Through his smile, droplets of water dripped from his bangs and onto his glasses. "Which way should we go?"

"I could take you home if you—ah!" Nemuru cried out when a gust of wind shook the basket.

"Maybe we could stop by your place first to drop off your groceries," Hiroshi suggested. "Then I could either borrow your umbrella, or stay for a bit."

"_Stay?"_ Nemuru said sharply.

"Only for a couple minutes, you know, until the rain lets up," Hiroshi said, rubbing the back of his wet neck.

"But still, to have a _boy_ over at _this_ hour…" Nemuru's voice trailed off. "And you know, my father _will_ find out."

"Right, because of my scent," Hiroshi said, looking away. "I'm sure if you explained to him, he might go easy on us…I just don't want you to have to carry your groceries around for an extra few miles."

Nemuru eyed the wavering basket around her arm. She sighed, "Very well. But only for a few minutes."

* * *

During the walk, Nemuru looked straight ahead, not once looking at Hiroshi's face, nor did she try to talk to him. The situation didn't need to be made any more uncomfortable than it already was. To think that she, Nemuru Kushinada, of all people, would be taking a _boy_ home at _night…_

Yet despite the lack of words between them, there was still _something_ in the air. Nemuru wondered what this _something_ was. At the very least, it was something that would complicate their friendship.

* * *

When they arrived, Nemuru's father had fallen asleep. Being careful not to wake him, Nemuru set the basket aside and took Hiroshi to her room. It was there that Hiroshi spoke for the first time in several minutes:

"Wow, your room is nice. It's so traditional. I don't remember any of my friends' rooms looking quite like _this._ Even my old bedroom was kind of Western in a way."

"Well, this estate _has_ been in the family for centuries," Nemuru said as she slid open the closet panel. She flipped through the clothes and said, "Now then, I will find some dryer clothes for you to wear, just for now." She added, "Just so you don't catch a cold."

"R, right," Hiroshi stammered. "I—I—well…I wouldn't think you were…um…"

Nemuru pulled out a navy blue yukata. "Here," she muttered, shoving the clothing into his hands. "I'll step out and wait for you to get changed."

Though she had been facing away from him, Hiroshi only realized as she turned to leave the room that her face had been a deep scarlet.

"Kushinada-san?" he said. "You're not getting sick, are you?"

"Of course not," Nemuru mumbled. She stepped out and muttered, "Now hurry up."

After Hiroshi had gotten changed, Nemuru took her turn to step in and change into a long, white, silk nightgown. When she emerged, Hiroshi said, "You look nice."

"…Thank you," Nemuru said flatly. "So…"

The only sound between them was the distant rain, still pouring harder than ever.

"Shall we have some tea?"

* * *

"Mmm!" Hiroshi exclaimed after taking a sip of the tea Nemuru had prepared.

"Too bitter?" Nemuru asked.

"Too _hot,"_ Hiroshi replied. He grimaced and put the cup down, but didn't let go—it warmed his hands. The two of them sat in the tatami room around the table. The room was dimly lit and cold. Outside, a soft rumble resounded.

"Sounds like I might have to stay a little longer," Hiroshi said, lowering his voice. "Sorry to do this to you."

"As long as father doesn't wake up, you should be fine," Nemuru said. She looked over her shoulder. "At this time, only a few servants will be up."

"Servants?" Hiroshi asked.

Nemuru nodded. "Only my father and I live in the main villa, but we still have a few servants around. Some of them are distant cousins."

"Cousins?" Hiroshi repeated.

Nemuru raised her eyebrows. "You have a tendency to repeat whatever someone just said," she remarked. "It's quite tiresome."

"Ah, sorry," Hiroshi apologized.

"You also apologize too much," Nemuru added. She took a sip of the strong, hot, bitter tea.

"Sor—I mean…yeah," Hiroshi laughed. "Kushinada-san? You don't still think my existence is annoying, do you?"

Nemuru looked up. "Not anymore." She took another sip. "Kuzumi-kun, you never told me your father likes to collect models. I would've thought him to be more of a reader like you."

"Actually," Hiroshi said, laughing, "I was looking for something for me. It's my hobby. Building plastic models, I mean. Most people think it's weird, but…"

"We all have our hobbies," Nemuru said with a shrug. "I fold paper cranes, and I'm also fond of bonsai."

"Bon—I mean, really?" Hiroshi said. "Do you have a favourite?"

Nemuru nodded and smiled. "I raised a maple tree with much trouble. Perhaps it's my favourite because of the trouble."

"Could I see it sometime?" Hiroshi asked. "Maybe right now?"

Nemuru sighed, "No. It's in my bedroom. And if my father were to wake up and catch us…well…I'd rather he find us _here_ than in my _bedroom."_

"Right, I get it," Hiroshi said. He picked up the cup and cautiously took another sip. The tea had cooled down.

"But if I look around," Nemuru said, "I might find some good paper and show you how to fold a paper crane."

"Sure, I guess I'd be up for it," Hiroshi shrugged.

Nemuru put the cup down and stood up. "I might have some materials nearby. Would you care to help me look?"

* * *

As Hiroshi and Nemuru searched through the small supplies closet, Hiroshi dared to tread around a delicate subject:

"So Sakaki-san wasn't giving you any trouble today, huh?"

"He couldn't have," Nemuru said as she set aside various materials, "because there wasn't an evening meeting scheduled for tonight."

"Oh, right," Hiroshi laughed.

"There's also that laugh of yours," Nemuru pointed out.

"Oh, do I laugh a lot?" Hiroshi asked, frowning.

"A bit," Nemuru said. She sat down. "But I don't mind."

"Speaking of Sakaki-san," Hiroshi said quickly as he sat next to her, "Mana and I saw him tonight at Kaori-san's. And we also met his mother."

In the closet's darkness, Hiroshi couldn't tell if Nemuru was smiling because she was happy, or because she was sad. "So he has a mother, does he?"

"Yes," Hiroshi said. "She lives on the first floor of my apartment complex."

"Did she say why she came to town?" Nemuru asked. Something about her voice sounded off to Hiroshi, but he couldn't figure out why.

"No, but maybe she just wants to make up for lost time, or something like that," Hiroshi said. "She seemed nice enough. But at the same time, she looked kind of sad. Do you think she knows about what happened at the Hassaku Festival?"

"Probably," Nemuru said in the same, indescribable tone. She sighed, "Sakaki-san is going to become a huge part of our lives from now on, isn't he? I see him at work, you see him at your sister's violin lessons…I have my 'history' with him," her voice trembled, "and now you've met his mother."

"His trial will eventually come up," Hiroshi said, shifting in the dark space. "It might take months, or years, but it will."

"And then?" Nemuru pointed out. "It won't change everything he's said and done to us…or vice versa," she added quietly.

Hiroshi saw Nemuru curl up her knees to her chest. He scooted closer to her and held her hand. Her palm felt sweaty in his. Or was _his_ palm sweaty?

"Sometimes," Nemuru muttered, "I wish he was just another stranger. But there's no good in wishing that now, is there?"

Hiroshi closed his eyes and whispered, "No matter what, I promise I won't let him hurt you."

"And I won't let him hurt you, or any of my friends, either," Nemuru whispered back. Her eyelids dropped "We'll protect each other."

The last thing she heard before drifting off was, "I promise."

* * *

Nemuru woke with a gasp. Where was she? What happened? The room smelled of honey. She was still in her school uniform. She was cold.

And her head was on something soft yet hard. A shoulder…

_Someone else's shoulder._

"Kuzumi-kun!" Nemuru hissed, shaking Hiroshi. "Wake up!"

"Mmph, wha…" Hiroshi rubbed his eyes. "Where am I?...Kushinada-san?"

"Hush!" Nemuru hissed, yanking him up to his feet. "You need to go home."

"What ha—"

"_Now,"_ Nemuru commanded.

Hiroshi stumbled out of the closet. Nemuru covered her hot cheeks and wondered how she was going to get rid of Hiroshi's scent before her father noticed.


	12. Chasing Cars

_If I lay here, if I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_-"Chasing Cars", Snow Patrol_

* * *

"And therefore, if the properties of this cause the parasitic growth to recede…"

Sakaki's attention drifted in and out of the following evening meeting. Each time he tried to focus on what was being said, he would think back to his upcoming outing—no, not an outing, a _date_—with Kaori on Saturday. A date with Kaori on Saturday…he would have a date with Kaori on Saturday…just thinking that phrase was enough to make him shiver while everyone else tugged at their collars and wiped the sweat off their brows.

From the moment he had fallen in love with Mieko, he had thought, known, that there was no other woman for him. And after she had died, he had sworn off romance for life. His one purpose for living was to avenge Mieko's death, not to soil their memories together. Mieko had been the only love of his life, and no one could replace her, not a serious romance, not a one-night stand, _no one._

He hadn't anticipated meeting Kaori or envisioning a future with her, nor did he foresee these…feelings…he would come to feel for her.

_Am I really developing feelings for her?_ Sakaki thought, lightly drumming his fingers on the table. _Or am I just superimposing Mieko's face onto her?...Damn it, there I go again. I know Kaori is not Mieko. I learned that on…that day…_

Yet his feelings hadn't faded even after learning the truth. If anything, they had grown stronger.

"Wouldn't you agree, Sakaki-san?"

…_Damn. Say something!_

"Yes, indeed," Sakaki nodded. "Is there anything else you wish to say?"

"We were hoping _you_ would have something else to say," one of the researchers said. "Is there another area you wish for us to focus on?"

"Perhaps marketing?" Sakaki suggested. "We could talk about how to present this data to the public."

Tatsuya stroked his chin. "Yes, that would be another worthwhile topic. Kishi-san?"

For the rest of the meeting, Tatsuya did not take his eyes off Sakaki. Nemuru observed the two men, wondering what was going on inside either's head. Sakaki's mind was elsewhere, she knew that much. Where, she didn't know. It might have something to do with Kaori, or it might have something to do with herself.

Of course, if Sakaki _were_ thinking of her, it wouldn't be with terms of endearment. Or at least, not with the classic definition of 'endearment'.

And then there was Tatsuya…he knew something about Sakaki. He might be holding something over him. But what could that thing be?

Suddenly, Misaki stumbled in her heels and spilt her coffee on her skirt and shoes. "Damn!" she muttered. "Excuse me," she added as she ran out of the conference room as fast as her feet could carry her.

"There goes my last good shoes for this week," Misaki sighed as she searched for the women's bathroom. She brushed against someone's shoulder. "Oh! Excuse me!"

"I'm sorry!" the voice replied.

Misaki turned in the direction of the voice. Kaori stood in front of her looking like a startled deer. "Ah, Kaori-san," Misaki laughed, brushing her dark hair past her ear, "I didn't even see you there!" She gestured to her skirt and shoes with the half-empty cup with a sigh. "I was so caught up in thinking about other things…"

"It's all right," Kaori said quickly. "Sometimes, I get caught up in my thoughts, too."

"Don't we all!" Misaki laughed. "Speaking of getting caught up in one's thoughts, Sakaki-san's on a different planet today." She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Perhaps you can explain?"

"Hmm? Oh, that," Kaori said, lowering her eyes. "We're taking our relationship to the next level." She added, "By that, I mean we're going on a special outing this Saturday, and see where things go from there."

"Is that so?" Misaki said, her eyes lighting up beneath her glasses. Then, her lips drew in a straight line as she said, "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, considering…all he's done…"

Kaori nodded. "I've thought about that," she said. "I won't forget it. But at the same time…oh, these feelings are just too much to _explain._" She shook her head. "Never mind. I'm here for a routine check-up. I'm supposed to go to the doctor's office down the hall. I'm sorry to hold you up."

"No problem," Misaki said, stepping out of Kaori's way. "I'm the one who's holding _you_ up. But before you leave…" She looked over her shoulder and asked, "What does Mana say about me? Has she said anything about me before?"

Kaori frowned. "No, I don't think…wait…I think she might've mentioned you a few times before you came to the city. She didn't talk about you a _lot."_

"What did she say?" Misaki asked, hoping her voice didn't sound _too_ eager._  
_

"I'm sorry, I can't quite remember right now," Kaori sighed. "I'll tell you when it comes to mind, okay?"

"Right," Misaki nodded. Her hands lay limp by her sides. "I'll see you later."

She headed for the bathroom, her heels clicking behind her.

* * *

Though Nemuru didn't have any new Sakaki updates the following day, apart from the fact that he was acting 'odd', Hiroshi had something to say in response:

"Nemuru-san, I think I know _why_ he was acting odd."

"Oh?" Nemuru said as she pulled out her chopsticks. "Why so?"

Hiroshi leaned in. "When I spoke to mom over the phone last night," he said, "she told me that Sakaki-san and Kaori-san are taking their relationship to the next level."

Isuzu spit out her grape juice and cried out, _"Whhaaaaaaaaaaa!?_ Th—they—those two—they're gonna—they'll…ah!" she squealed as blood splurted out her nose.

"Is that _all_ your mom said, Hakase-kun?" Kaname said, hiding her smile with one hand and using a napkin to clean up Isuzu's nosebleed with the other. "Was there more to it?"

"Hmm…she _did_ mention _something_ about the two of them going on a date tomorrow," Hiroshi said. He wrinkled his nose and adjusted his glasses, which were falling off. _I'll have to remind either dad or mom that I need new glasses,_ he thought.

"And did she say what will happen _after?"_ Isuzu demanded as she yanked on the front of Hiroshi's shirt.

"Tsumuhana-san." Nemuru placed a hand on Isuzu's back.

Isuzu snapped back and stammered, "S—sorry, Hiro-kun!"

"Anyway," Hiroshi said as he smoothed out his wrinkled shirt, "mom didn't say anything beyond that. But she _did_ say she's worried about Kaori-san given...you know…everything Sakaki-san has done."

The corners of Nemuru's mouth twitched. "My, that _is_ an interesting update," she said. "Although, I am certain that their outing will be quite innocent."

"But don't you think it's worth checking on?" Kaname suggested. "This could be a great opportunity to find out if he's up to anything. Maybe he'll confess to her?"

"I doubt it," Nemuru said. She rubbed the chopsticks together, but didn't pick up any food. "He wouldn't let his guard down for anyone, not even around her."

"It might still be worth a try," Hiroshi suggested.

"But do we even know _where_ they're going, or what time?" Nemuru pointed out.

"Then we'll just make a day-long trek around the city to find them!" Isuzu declared, pointing her finger in the air. "Or we'll camp out in front of Mana-san's home all night and then follow them in the morning!"

Nemuru stared at Isuzu as though she had suggested they launch a coup d'état of the Japanese government. "Tsumuhana-san," she said, trying to keep her voice calm, "I hope you realize you're suggesting that we _stalk_ these two?"

Isuzu's bright expression faded. "Well, when you put it like _that…_but maybe we'll try to check in on _some_ part of it? Like, not _all_ of it, but _maybe,_ if we happen to see them…?"

Isuzu stuck out her bottom lip and widened her doe-like eyes. Nemuru drew her lips thin. "We'll have a small outing around town. _And that is all,"_ she added in a withering tone.

Isuzu shrank back and said meekly, "G—got it."

_Still,_ Nemuru thought, _this 'date' might be worth checking on..._

* * *

On Saturday morning, the first crisis befell Kaori—"I forgot to buy _eggs,"_ she moaned as she searched through the fridge. She wore a long-sleeved cotton dress that went a few inches below her knees with white tights. "I'm so sorry! Sakaki-san, do you want me to go out and—"

"No, no, that's all right," Sakaki said with a wave. He was wearing his usual street clothes, but without the vest. He opened up the pantry. "We can have egg rolls another day. I'm fine with soup." He frowned and muttered, "If you still _have_ the broth…or the ingredients…"

Kaori ran a hand through her hair. "We still have time. I could go shopping."

"Or," Sakaki closed the doors, "I could call my mother. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Did she give you her number?"

"No," Kaori sighed. She closed the fridge door with a half-hearted swing. "I'm sorry."

"Maybe _I_ could go shopping?" Sakaki suggested.

"Or we could go together," Kaori said. She added, "I feel fine today. I think I can handle a walk to the market."

"But you'll let me know if…"

"_Of course_ I will," Kaori assured him as she headed for the front hall. Sakaki followed her with an ambivalent step.

* * *

"Ah—just what I needed to complete my _Sherlock Holmes_ collection!" Kaname declared as she marched out of the bookstore at the central market, carrying a rare English 1887 edition of _A Study in Scarlet_. Hiroshi, Isuzu, and Nemuru followed with their own books, in respective order—a book on airplanes, a variety of romance novels, and an old copy of _The Tale of Genji_.

"But if you already _have_ that book, why would you want another copy?" Hiroshi asked.

"It never hurts to compare translations," Kaname replied with a shrug. She stopped and hushed the group. She ducked behind a signpost and gestured for the other three to follow. They obeyed, wondering what Kaname was up to.

"Over there!" Kaname hissed. She pointed in the direction of the grocery store. Two individuals emerged from the crowd, each carrying a brown grocery bag. They looked like—no, wait, Hiroshi realize, they _were_—Sakaki and Kaori.

"My, my, so _this_ is how the date begins," Kaname mused. "So innocent…."

"And I'm certain that's how it will _stay,"_ Nemuru whispered, her muscles tensing up. "We should go." She paused. "Then again…it might not hurt to make sure he isn't hurting her."

The four friends blended into the crowd and continued to follow the couple. Up ahead, they could hear the two talking:

"….sorry again about the inconvenience."

"It's no inconvenience at all. Anyway, are you _sure…"_

"I'm _fine!_ Honest! It's just one bag! Ah!"

A group of people brushed into Kaori by accident, causing her to drop the bag. Sakaki swooped in, caught the bag before it hit the ground, and handed it back to her. From where Nemuru was standing, she thought she saw Kaori smile and mutter a quiet "thank you".

What _were_ Sakaki's feelings towards Kaori? Did he view her as a replacement for Mieko? Or was he falling for her? And would this relationship _change_ anything?

Kaori stepped in closer to Sakaki and whispered something in his ear. His cheeks turned pink, making him look rather cute. He lowered his eyes and muttered, "Sure." Nemuru wasn't sure what had just been said until she cast her eyes downwards: Kaori's fingers were entwined with Sakaki's. In return, he slipped his hand in hers.

Nemuru stiffened, but kept moving. That didn't mean anything. He could still be confused about his feelings. Even if he loved her, he was still dangerous. He hadn't done anything 'dangerous' since the Hassaku festival, but that didn't mean he wasn't planning _something._

He wouldn't dare use Kaori as a pawn, would he?

When Mana had told them about Sakaki's reaction to Kaori's condition, she had said that he had been "really, really upset". Kaname had suggested if his reaction had been akin to a dying lover. At the time, Nemuru had dismissed this as Kaname's imagination running away with her. Now, she realized Mana hadn't told her the _full_ story.

What version would Hiroshi give?

By now, they had reached the exit. "I think we should stop here for now," Nemuru whispered. The four stopped and waited for Sakaki and Kaori to leave their sight before Nemuru said, "Now then…there are some things I'd like to discuss…"

* * *

"It's been years since I've cooked alongside a woman," Sakaki remarked as he stood above the stove stirring the soup pot.

"Was that last woman your mother?" Kaori asked as she put the egg rolls away in the bento box.

"No." Sakaki paused. "Mieko. In fact, she taught me how to cook."

Kaori hid a smile. "What about your mother?"

"Nah," Sakaki sighed. He added a dash of pepper. "Father said cooking was a woman's duty and I shouldn't bother myself. But that's not say his other values were useless. He did also say that I should stand by my woman no matter what, and to never be afraid to stand up for her, or myself."

"Come to think of it, I remember Sachiko-san saying a few things about her husband," Kaori said. "Where is he now?"

Sakaki turned off the stove. "He's dead."

Kaori's smile fell. "Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"No, it's okay," Sakaki sighed. "He lived a good life, at least with my mother."

"I see." Kaori looked at the cheese cloth. "That must've been so hard on your family."

"It was," Sakaki admitted as he gave the settling soup one, final stir. "Both my parents were orphans, so my mother didn't have anyone else to rely on. We also had some difficulties with money." He looked over his shoulder. Kaori's eyes were beginning to shine over, so he added, "But we did make it by in the end—I took on a few part-time jobs, and mother was a waitress for a few months. We had enough to keep our house, so we weren't living in the streets or anything like that. We just couldn't spend our money on any frivolous luxuries, and we had to ration our food."

Sakaki cleared his throat and changed the subject: "Anyway…I think the soup's just about ready. What do you think?"

Kaori walked over to the stove. She took out a spoon, dipped it in the broth, and took a small sip. "Still needs a couple more minutes."

* * *

The evening sky was painted red as the two walked through the forest to Kaori's favourite spot. They stopped near the river, laid out the checkered blanket, and unpacked the dishes. As they did so, they were unaware of a certain overeager teenager and two of her friends crouching in a nearby bush.

"See?" Isuzu whispered. "What did I tell you?"

"You were right," Hiroshi sighed. The three had decided to stop by Kaori's to ask her about this 'date', and arrived in time to see Sakaki and Kaori leave. It had been Isuzu's idea to follow them; though Nemuru had insisted this was childish, Isuzu had pointed out there was still the possibility that Sakaki could confess his plans to Kaori.

"What's he saying?" Isuzu asked, squinting.

"Nothing at the moment," Nemuru said, keeping her voice low. "They're just unpacking…now they're getting out the utensils…."

The trio continued to wait behind the bush. While they were waiting, Hiroshi looked over at Nemuru. The side of her face was hidden by her hair, which looked so nice, especially with that little…bow? Was that what she called it?

He thought back to the night he had gone over to Nemuru's. It might have been his imagination, but whenever they spoke, the look in her eyes had grown softer, even when she was commenting on his speech. This was when she looked him in the eye; other times, she had kept fixing her gaze above his head. And she had said she didn't mind his laugh.

What did that _mean?_ He had saved her life a few months ago. Did that have something to do with it? Or was there something _else_ at play?

Then again, why had he told her about his hobby? It wasn't something he told other people, not even Isuzu.

"Kuzumi-kun."

"Eh?" Hiroshi snapped up. Nemuru was looking right at him. _What do I say now?_

"Look at the two." Nemuru pointed in Sakaki and Kaori's direction. The two were leaning in closer and chatting. Hiroshi strained to hear them, and caught bits of the conversation:

"…so you had a good professor….glad to hear…"

"Yes. It was very….lunch was crap, though….Mieko taught me…"

Nemuru pulled back. Hiroshi and Isuzu continued to listen. The conversation wasn't very interesting, it was mostly about the two's university days. Sakaki had majored in geology and was telling Kaori about his studies; Kaori, in return, told Sakaki about how she had studied some musical theory, but not as in-depth as she would've liked.

"A violin piece I would _love_ to perform is Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3," Kaori said as she took a sip of apple cider. "It's quite difficult to play, but it would be worth learning."

"So why don't you try?" Sakaki suggested as he poured some apple cider in his mug.

"Oh no, I'm nowhere _near_ good enough yet," Kaori laughed. "If only there were somewhere I could go to study the art better…"

"I'm still on the look-out," Sakaki said. He swung the mug down and said, "It's hard to come by, though." He leaned in closer and said, "One of these days, maybe I could take you to the city and see what they have to offer."

"Oh no, we shouldn't," Kaori said, backing away. "It's against Jouga's laws."

"Screw the laws," Sakaki scoffed. "They were invented to keep people from finding out about the Kamibito. Now that Japan knows the truth, why _shouldn't_ we?"

Kaori reached out and touched his arm. "Because," she said in a firm but gentle voice, "we still need to find a way to resist the 'temptation' out there. We're fine with the human population right now, but there's a huge difference between the amount of people here, and the amount of people in the city."

"Has anyone gone to the city and attacked people at random?" Sakaki asked. "I don't think so. So why not just see what we can do? We'll be fine as long as we keep taking the capsules."

Hiroshi turned at the sound of a sigh. Nemuru shook her head and muttered, "Oh, Sakaki-san, you're more naïve than I imagined…"

"It's difficult," Kaori sighed. "But maybe Tatsuya-san will come through after all with the surgery. Maybe then we can go to the city together."

At this, Sakaki tensed up. Though the trio couldn't see his eyes from where they were, he seemed to be in deep thought about something.

"What is it?" Kaori asked. She pulled him in closer by the arm. This touch snapped Sakaki back to reality. He turned to Kaori and smiled. "Nothing. I'm just thinking, maybe you're right. Maybe I should just more faith in Tatsuya-san."

"Yes," Kaori nodded. "Then I might have the chance to perform the violin in the city, at least…for a short time. Maybe a few months," she added wistfully. "Then I'd have to go back for treatments…"

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic," Sakaki said. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you'll be in the city much longer than that."

"How do you know?" Kaori asked.

Sakaki drew Kaori in by the waist, and she gasped. "I just do," he said.

Nemuru focused on Sakaki's smile. She couldn't see a trace of malice or falseness behind it. It appeared to be sincere, and almost looked…happy. Had she seen such a smile from him before? The last few times he had smiled, in Nemuru's memory, it had been a look of contempt and superiority, of smugness and spite.

But that had been when he was smiling at Nemuru. His smile towards Kaori was very different.

Would he ever look at Nemuru that way? As though she was an equal, not an enemy? Not as someone who had killed his fiancée and destroyed his happiness?

Nemuru drew back. "I think we've heard enough," she whispered. "We should go."

"But—" Isuzu began to protest; Nemuru cut in: "Sakaki-san seems certain that Kaori-san will be in the city longer than a few months. Why?"

Sakaki's head turned in the direction of the bush. "Kaori, did you hear something?"

The trio froze. They remained crouched and their heads hidden, deciding what to do next.

"Oh, it's probably just a rabbit," Kaori said with a shrug.

"I thought I heard _someone_ whispering," Sakaki said as he stood up.

Before Isuzu or Nemuru could do anything, Hiroshi sprung up and said, "Ah—good evening!" He ran out and laughed, "What a surprise, ha-ha!"

"_Kuzumi?"_ Sakaki asked. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Hiroshi babbled, "I was…well, see, my mom told me about your date, and Mana wanted me to check it out, so…"

"_Why_ is my free time with Kaori any of _your_ business?" Sakaki asked, his eyes narrowing and his smile dissolving.

Kaori walked over to the pair and said, "Now Sakaki-san, I'm sure Kuzumi-kun had good intentions." She looked at Hiroshi and said, "Kuzumi-kun, I thank you and your sister for being concerned about us. But as you've seen, I'm all right with Sakaki-san. You can stay if you want."

"Nah, that'll be okay," Hiroshi turned to leave. "And I'm sorry for spying."

"It's all right, it's all right," Kaori assured him with a wave. "Goodbye."

"Yeah, bye," Hiroshi said, rubbing the back of his neck. He dashed off through the forest.

Sakaki and Kaori turned back for the picnic site and discussed Hiroshi's weird behaviour while Isuzu and Nemuru took this as their cue to follow Hiroshi.

Still, Nemuru made a mental note to come back later.

* * *

Even though their meal had long finished, Sakaki and Kaori continued to lie on the blanket. While they talked, the sky darkened. There was no moon out that night, but there were hundreds of stars splashed across the sky.

"Sakaki-san…since we're becoming more familiar now," Kaori said, "would it be all right if I called you 'Junichi-kun'?"

"Huh? Hmm…" Sakaki rolled on his back. "Maybe."

"Or would you prefer 'Shunichirou-kun'?" Kaori asked.

"Nah," Sakaki said. "It's a mouthful. Junichi-kun will do." He reached for her hand. "Kaori? Did you bring your violin?"

"No," Kaori sighed. "It's the one thing I forgot."

"That's okay," Sakaki said as he brushed her fingers. "There are other things we could do."

"Ah…like what?" Kaori asked. Sakaki noticed she was crossing and uncrossing her ankles.

"Like maybe…dancing?" Sakaki suggested. He stood up to his feet and stretched out a hand. "Well?"

Kaori stood up by herself and said, with an ambivalent smile, "I'd love to, but I've never danced with anyone before."

Sakaki wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her in gently. "I could teach you. Now, put your arms on my shoulders."

Kaori bit her lip. She gripped his shoulders and said, "Like this?"

"Relax," Sakaki said. "Now, I'm going to move, all right?"

Kaori nodded, though shaking. Sakaki took a step to the right, still holding on to her waist, and said, "Just pretend we're dancing to a violin solo."

His voice was smooth, like silk. His eyes met hers, and suddenly, Kaori felt her breath escape her. She wondered if he could see through her, if he could hear her beating heart, if he could…

"Ah!" she cried out when she felt something step on her foot.

"Sorry," Sakaki quickly said. "Er…"

He tried to lead Kaori into the next move, but got his leg tangled around hers. Their chests bumped, and he stopped. "Sorry," he muttered.

"A—allow me," Kaori stammered. She slid her leg around his and slowly backed off. She cleared her throat and said, "So…that went…" She giggled, "Well…"

Kaori covered her mouth and laughed. As if it were a sign from heaven, the sound of her laughter awakened something within Sakaki. There was no denying it now. How could he?

This went beyond protectiveness, beyond longing, beyond familiarity…

Sakaki stepped forward and embraced Kaori. Her laughter stopped and she whispered, "Junichi-kun…?"

He held her close and whispered into her ear:

"I love you."

As soon as he said this, his stomach lurched forward and backward. He breathed into her ear, waiting for her response. He traced his fingers across her smooth cheeks and whispered, "I think I fell in love you with the moment I first saw you. It was never Mieko I saw. It was always you."

He kissed her cheek, wondering what to do if she didn't respond. Then, she whispered: "Junichi-kun…I…"

Sakaki parted his face from hers by an inch. Then, he closed his eyes, leaned in, and kissed her on her warm, soft lips. Her breath smelled sweet, and her lips tasted like apple cider. Around them, there was only the sound of frogs croaking and splashing through the river. The cool breeze brushed past their ears, but Sakaki didn't dare break off the kiss for that.

But…she wasn't kissing back. And now, he tasted her salty tears.

Kaori abruptly ended the kiss and backed off. She was crying, and her cheeks were deep red. She looked away and said, "I'm sorry. That almost went too far. Let's go."

"Ah…" Sakaki looked over at the bento box. "You go ahead. I'll take the blanket."

Sakaki bent down and folded up the blanket while Kaori carried the bento box. How stupid of him. Why didn't he see it? She didn't feel the same way for him. How could she? She asked him out because she took pity on him, and that was it. He could've at least _asked_ if she wanted it, but she clearly didn't. She never said so. So of course she would be embarrassed.

As the couple began to head back for home, they were unaware of Nemuru's presence. She had been watching them from behind a tree. At the sight, she sighed, shook her head, and turned for home.


	13. Set the Fire to the Third Bar

_I hang my coat up in the first bar_

_There is no peace that I've found so far_

_The laughter penetrates my silence_

_As drunken men find flaws in science_

_Their words, mostly noises_

_Ghosts with just voices_

_-"Set the Fire to the Third Bar", Snow Patrol_

* * *

The room was red. The ceiling, the walls, the carpet—every last inch was painted red. Each step he took sent a thousand burning needles through his feet. His knees shook like jelly, and he fell to the ground, his vision blinded by pure _red._

When his vision cleared, he saw the face of a shapeless woman standing before him. She had no face, no body, no clothes, but she was clearly a woman, and she was sliding on her feet across a dark lake. She stopped upon a silvery patch, and her whole figure was illuminated.

He crawled towards the woman, reached out a hand, and tried to call her name, but his throat clouded over. His arms and legs weakened with each attempt to get closer until he gave up, and allowed the surrounding demons to drag him down, down into a fiery river below, each one whispering:

"_What have you done?"_

* * *

Sakaki awoke with a sharp gasp.

"I said, what have you done to contribute?"

Sakaki blinked. _Damn, did I fall asleep again?_ He looked around the conference room. Every person in the room was staring at him—including Tatsuya, Misaki, and _her._

Sakaki sat up straight and said, "Sorry about that. It's getting a bit late. Anyway…I believe that, if nothing else, I have succeeded in helping strengthen the image of our company."

"And _how_ have you been doing that?" the person demanded. "So far, all you've done is sit around at meetings."

Sakaki brushed his bangs aside. "Great things take time. You don't expect us to be ready for our first surgery by _tomorrow,_ do you?"

"You're avoiding the question!" the person accused.

"Now, now," Tatsuya said, raising both hands, "there's no need to get confrontational. Sakaki-san has been a most valuable asset to me, and you will see why when all our plans unveil. If you have any further questions about his place, they are to be addressed to me. Now then, on with the topic at hand…"

As Tatsuya steered the conversation towards company funding, Nemuru wondered about Sakaki's behaviour. She couldn't remember him falling asleep in the middle of a meeting before. When he had woken up, he looked like a deer caught in headlights. Even now, he wasn't 'there'—his eyes kept darting across the room before settling on an imaginary spot on the table.

Nemuru knew what the likely cause of Sakaki's behaviour was: Kaori's rejection. But she couldn't bring that up, not outright. Then Sakaki would know she had been there.

_Is it even worth bringing up?_ Nemuru thought. _Maybe I'll ask when the meeting's over._

* * *

When the meeting ended, Nemuru paced herself through the crowd to catch up with Sakaki. Talking with him outside work didn't enthrall her, but she felt it had to be done.

_This needs to be done delicately,_ she reminded herself. _I can't let him know I was there._

"Sakaki-san," Nemuru caught up to him, though he walked one step ahead. "You haven't been yourself this evening. Is everything all right?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Sakaki said, looking straight ahead. "Why do you care?"

"Because if you're not in your top form, it could affect the company's image," Nemuru said, struggling to keep up with his brisk steps. "Surely Tatsuya-san talked to you about that?"

"We haven't gone public as a team since the opening," Sakaki said as the two turned around a corner. "So why should some little slip in private matter?"

"It matters," Nemuru ran up to him, "because it's my duty to supervise the meetings and then report back to the council and association. If I told them you kept falling asleep and losing focus at meetings, what do you think they might say?"

"I don't care," Sakaki said crisply, "because it's none of their business." He stopped and glared. "And neither is it _yours."_

Nemuru tried to search for another look behind the glare, but found none. She sighed, "Fine. If it's that personal, then I won't pry any further. But do keep in mind what I told you." She paused. "Although…you did say at the beginning you would make me beg for death by the end of this. So far, you've only been a nuisance."

Sakaki scoffed, "My, aren't _you_ so tactful. Be patient, and you'll be on your knees soon enough."

He turned on his heel and stalked off. Nemuru sighed and bent over the water fountain. She turned the knob, but to no avail.

"Is Sakaki-san giving you a hard time again?"

Nemuru stood up straight. Misaki was leaning against the wall, arms folded. "Not exactly," she said. "But…"

"Or does this have something to do with that date Hiroshi mentioned?" Misaki asked, raising her eyebrows.

Nemuru clasped her hands together. "It might. I think it would be safe to assume things didn't go over too well."

"Ah," Misaki said with a nod and smile. "I understand."

"I tried talking to him, but…" Nemuru sighed, "You know how he can be. Unless…Misaki-san, how often do the employees go out after work?"

"Oh, we sometimes go out together, unless we have to stay late to do more research, or handle company finances, or anything along those lines," Misaki said, brushing aside her bangs. "Right now, some of the workers are out on coffee break while others go home. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Sakaki-san stay extra late…which is odd, considering he _is_ Tatsuya-san's assistant…" She tapped her chin. "What does he even _do_ as his assistant? Sit around and look pretty in a suit?"

"If you can still catch him," Nemuru lowered her voice, "perhaps you could invite him and some of the others out for a few drinks? See if you can get him to say anything?"

"I'll see what I can do," Misaki nodded. "I'm not sure what he thinks of _me,_ but if he's around some of the others, maybe he'll open up." She paused. "By the way...I hope you don't mind my asking, but...how are things with Hiroshi?"

Nemuru put on her best poker face. "They couldn't be better."

Misaki lowered her voice: "He talks about you quite a bit-more and more over the past few weeks."

"Ah...he _is_ my friend, after all," Nemuru said, rolling her shoulders back. "I'm sure Tsumuhana-san and Asagiri-san are worried about me, too."

"It's not _just_ worrying," Misaki said. She held back a smile. "I won't say anything else. But if you feel the need to talk, I'm here."

Nemuru looked straight ahead. "Thank you for your offer, but I must go." She turned quickly on her heel and speed-walked. She couldn't dare hold on to such a foolish hope, not even if Misaki would approve of it. She couldn't risk losing her chances of getting on the neighbourhood association's good side, or her friendship with Isuzu.

* * *

Misaki caught Sakaki right before he left and told him she was going out to the bar with a few of their other co-workers (whom she had invited on her way out) and invited him to come along. Though reluctant, Sakaki agreed, saying he could use a good drink right now.

Now, Sakaki was sitting at a table in the middle of a nicotine-laced, semi-crowded bar, holding a glass of whiskey he had taken a few, bitter sips of. Around him sat Misaki and a few of the other co-workers. They were chatting about their past work experiences while Sakaki sat and wondered where he had gone wrong last night. Should he have asked Kaori if she had wanted to be kissed? Did she find his love confession insincere? Did she think he still viewed her as Mieko?

Either way, he had been a total dumbass. And now, thanks to him, his relationship with Kaori had taken an abrupt back step. She hadn't said a word to him last night, nor had she said anything beyond "Good morning" when they had breakfast together. The two of them couldn't look each other in the eye. Even now, Sakaki wondered, she probably wasn't worried about him coming home late.

"What about you, Sakaki-san?"

"Eh?" _Shit, what were they talking about?_

"We were talking about our past jobs," Misaki said. "What about you? Did you have a job before this?"

"Ah…" The others had gone, leaving Misaki and Sakaki. He sighed, "Yeah, I had a couple, but they weren't much. I worked several part-time jobs when I was a teenager. I also worked part-time in university, and I sometimes skipped class if a shift ran over."

_And I would've kept doing so, if it weren't for Mieko,_ he silently added. He had a lot to thank Mieko for, didn't he? And how was he repaying her?

"But I didn't work around _here_ up until now," Sakaki added. "Anyway…what about you?"

"I was just telling Mori-san, before he left," Misaki said, taking a small sip of beer. "I used to be a nurse. I was in medical school when I met Masaaki. He swept me off my feet, we got married, and I continued my studies until I had Hiroshi. Then I settled down to raise my family. After…some incidents…" Her eyes shifted. "I moved elsewhere, and threw myself back into medical studies, as an independent student, then went back into nursing."

"How nice," Sakaki said, staring at the patterns formed in the wooden creases of the table.

"Is something bothering you?" Misaki asked. "You haven't been yourself for the past few days."

"Well…" Sakaki hesitated.

"Does it have anything to do with Kaori-san?" Misaki asked.

Sakaki took another sip of his whiskey and grimaced, wondering if it really had been four months since he last went out for a drink.

"What happened?" Misaki asked.

Sakaki glanced back and forth at them. She wouldn't let him leave unless he told her. Knowing this, he told her about last night's date, and its disastrous end. When he finished, Misaki's glass was empty.

"I think you overstepped it," Misaki said, leaning forward on the table. "Try apologizing to her, and suggest you start over."

"And then what?" Sakaki said flatly. "Will she forget about what happened?"

"If I were her, I'd feel more embarrassed than anything else," Misaki said with a sigh. "Maybe she felt uncomfortable because she wasn't sure where the relationship stood, or if she returned your feelings."

"Maybe," Sakaki sighed. "I guess I'll talk to her about it tomorrow."

Misaki crossed her legs. "What do you think of our boss?" she asked. "Do you ever get the feeling he's hiding something?"

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't," Sakaki shrugged. He pushed his chair back and stood up. "I'm going home. See you tomorrow."

He turned to leave. Misaki called out, "Wait! Don't you have something else to say?"

"Yeah." Sakaki grimaced. "The whiskey here is disgusting."

He walked off, leaving Misaki to sulk and mutter, "Not even a_ little_ 'thank you'?"

* * *

It was close to midnight when Shigeru Mori finished his report to Tatsuya. They were on the hospital roof once again, but the two men were shivering. Soon, Tatsuya noted, it would be time for them to take their little chats inside.

"So it's as I thought," Tatsuya said. "It all goes back to Kaori Mana."

"Yes," Mori said. He fidgeted with his hands. "I don't know where they stand in their relationship, but…" He sighed and muttered, "The good ones are always into women, aren't they?"

"Hmm?" Tatsuya raised his eyebrows. "What was that?"

Mori forced a smile. "Nothing, it was…it was nothing." He cleared his throat and said, "Anyway…as said, I don't know where they are, but it's clearly evident he loves her."

"Yes, clearly," Tatsuya sighed. He walked over the railing and gazed over the sleeping city. "Or else he wouldn't have eagerly believed every word I fed him that night."

"Do you have a plan, sir?" Mori asked. "Or do we still sit in waiting?"

"Trust me," Tatsuya said. He clutched the steel bars. "We'll take our first step in a month. By then, Kushinada's time with us will almost be up, and we can do whatever we please."

He closed his eyes and sighed, "I apologize. I didn't think we would have to wait this long. There are some things even I can't foresee."

He had known this was true long before he ever approached Kushinada with his proposal. He couldn't have foreseen the death of his mother, nor his father's execution. And, although he hadn't been surprised, he couldn't have foreseen his brother's fate.

Tatsuya clenched his teeth at the thought. No longer would he stand in silence while his family suffered. No longer would he allow his people to suffer

Not this time.

He opened his eyes and let go of the railing. He turned to the shivering Mori with a smile and said, "Let's go back inside and have some coffee. It's cold out here, isn't it?"


	14. Remember Me

A/N: In this case, "Remember Me" is a beautiful piece by Thomas Bergersen, and I MUST recommend playing it after the second line (NOT counting the one below): watch?v=fHsc3XmALC0

* * *

"More tea?"

"No thank you, dear."

Sachiko sat and drank her cup of tea while sitting next to Kaori in the living room. The flavour of the tea was off, but she didn't say so out loud, lest she be rude. Actually, a lot of things about Kaori were 'off' today. Sachiko had stopped by for a visit in the afternoon in the hopes of getting to know her a bit better. When she had arrived at the front door, Kaori didn't exactly look _un_happy, but she didn't look _happy,_ either. Now, she was fidgeting with the white collar of her long, black dress, and fixing her gaze across the room.

"Kaori-san," Sachiko said, "is something bothering you?"

"Hmm? Um…" Kaori frowned.

"Is it about your condition?" Sachiko asked in a gentler tone.

"Oh no, no…well, yes and no…" Kaori sighed. She lay her cup on the saucer and brushed her bangs away from her forehead.

"Is it about Junichi?" Sachiko asked.

Kaori stiffened. "Yes," she admitted.

"Is he on his best behaviour?" Sachiko asked with a small smile.

"I guess," Kaori shrugged. "Although…I don't know…Sachiko-san, how did you know you and your husband were meant for each other, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, not at all, dear," Sachiko said with a wave of her hand. "Katsurou was a bit old-fashioned, and hard-headed at times, but he was still very kind to me." Her eyes shined over. "We had both lost almost everything," she mused. "All we had was each other. I still remember those harsh winter nights when he would wrap me up in the few blankets we had, saving none for himself. And when he became ill on the night of that huge blizzard, I stayed by his side the whole night. In the end, it was our will to do everything for each other that brought us together. I knew that no matter what we may face, we could still face it together. Does that answer your question, dear?"

"I suppose," Kaori said slowly. "Sachiko-san….about me and Junichi-kun…" She realized too late how she had addressed him, and blushed. Sachiko smiled and said, "Ah, I get it. You're ambivalent about where the two of you stand, correct?"

Kaori nodded. "Sort of…I mean…"

"I don't mind at all," Sachiko assured her. "In fact, it would make me happy to see Junichi move past…what happened."

"There's that, too," Kaori said. "Look into my eyes and tell me: How much do I resemble Mieko-san?"

Sachiko studied Kaori's face. "Hmm…I see a strong resemblance, but I can still distinguish, in my mind, between you and Mieko," she said. "Why? Are you afraid Junichi might see you as Mieko?"

Kaori nodded. "I want to be sure it's me he loves, and not Mieko-san. A few nights ago…he said something to me, and I'm not sure how to take it. He said…" She gulped. "That he loves me."

Sachiko laughed, "Dear, why's that such a bad thing?"

"He also said he never saw Mieko-san, that it was always me he loved," Kaori said, tracing her finger along the porcelain cup. "I wonder how much of that is true. When we first met, I was performing in the garden. When I was done, he came up to me and called me 'Mieko'. I still remember the look in his eyes. He looked so sad…" Her voice trailed off.

"Ah." Sachiko sighed and shook her head. "Poor thing…sometimes, I wonder if I should've been there for him. I did stay with him for a short time after what had happened, but maybe I should've taken him home. He looked fine when I left, but now…" She shook her head. "What's past is past. Anyway…my son tends to be very dramatic when he's in love. He sometimes gets a bit carried away." She laughed, "Oh, the things I've overheard him say to Mieko would've made Shakespeare-san blush! But there is a grain of truth to what he says. He does love you, I am sure of that. Why don't you have a talk with him today when he comes home from work?"

Kaori nodded. "I think I'll do just that. Thank you for your advice, Sachiko-san."

"Anytime, dear," Sachiko said with a smile.

* * *

Sakaki came home towards the end of Mana's violin lesson. He went straight to his room without looking Kaori in the eye. This fed Hiroshi's suspicion that something must've happened between them on the night of their date after he had left.

The possibility that it had been 'that' had crossed his mind, but he dismissed it. It was too soon for them to be _that_ far, wasn't it? At least, they might have kissed. Today, when he and his friends had eaten on the rooftop at lunch (though it was quickly getting too cold for that), Nemuru had given them the typical 'Sakaki-san update' and had noted he was behaving odd during Sunday night's meeting once again. When Hiroshi had asked if it had anything to do with his date with Kaori, Nemuru had fallen unusually quiet. She had only said, "Yes, probably," and nothing more.

Had Nemuru stayed behind? Had she seen something? Hiroshi didn't dare ask.

The final few notes on Mana's violin died out. "That was fine, Mana-chan," Kaori said. "But you keep reaching too hard for the higher notes."

"Mo~, am I _ever_ gonna get those high notes?" Mana muttered.

"In time, you will, with practice," Kaori said. As she said this, her eyes were focused on the dimming sky outside the window, as though it were the most fascinating thing in the room.

* * *

"That does it," Sakaki muttered as he marched down the stairwell, now changed into his street clothes. "We're settling this once and for all."

He paused a few feet away from the living room. Hiroshi and Mana were shaking hands with Kaori, exchanging smiles, and thanking her for a good time. All he had to do now was wait for them to leave, but since Hiroshi _loved_ to shake hands with people so damn _much,_ this would take a while.

He knew what to say. He would apologize for overstepping their 'date' (or whatever that was), and ask if they could start over. If he was lucky, _maybe_ she would accept his apology. At least she hadn't kicked him out. Did that mean she wasn't _entirely_ angry?

"…and thank you again," Hiroshi finished. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep, see you then," Kaori said with a small wave.

"Bye-bye!" Mana called out as she and Hiroshi left. Kaori closed the door behind them. She dropped her smile and sighed.

"Kaori?" Sakaki took a step forward. Kaori gasped and spun around. "Oh, sorry," she quickly said. "Um…did you want to talk about something?"

The words Sakaki had planned in his head vanished. Still, he knew he had to say _something_ or else they'd be there all evening. "Yes," he said. "It's about…our date."

Kaori lowered her eyes. "Oh. That."

"Yes, that," Sakaki said. He sighed, "I was an idiot. I'm sorry. And don't apologize," he added. "I know you. That's what you'll try to do. But it wasn't your fault. I should've asked if you were okay with a kiss. Or at least, I should've waited for you to say something back after…what I said." He shook his head. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment. I was stupid, so, so stupid."

"Junichi-kun." Kaori reached for his hand. "I accept your apology. What you need to understand, though, is what a kiss means in Kamibito culture."

"Ah, another one of _those_ things, huh?" Sakaki said with a small smile. "I should've known. So what _does _it mean? "

Kaori searched for the right words to describe it. "Well…it's like this," she began. "You know how those old laws forbade any kissing between a Kamibito and an Ochibito? Or how some of the elders look down on any 'frivolous' activities between couples? They're both related. To you, a kiss is another way of expression affection. But to us, it's more than that: It's a declaration of eternal love. It's mainly because, once an Ochibito is kissed…"

"Ah, I get it," Sakaki said with a nod. "But what about a Kamibito couple?"

"They wouldn't have to worry about the same risk, but it's still an important ritual for us," Kaori said. She paused. "When you told me you loved me, I didn't know how to reply. I could see where this was leading, but I didn't think it would happen so _fast._" She looked away. "And then you kissed me, and…"

"Damn," Sakaki groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Now I feel like an even _bigger_ idiot."

"But did you mean it?" Kaori asked, looking Sakaki in the eye. "Do you really love me?"

"Absolutely," Sakaki said, holding both of Kaori's hands. "And you?"

"I've given it some thought," Kaori said. She smiled. "I know for certain that I have developed feelings for you. I enjoyed your company when we first met, and when I had to leave, one of my biggest regrets was leaving you behind. And now that we've gotten to know each other better over the past few months, I can say this much." She let go of his right hand and stroked his cheek. He gasped.

"You're always there when I'm sick," she said, brushing her fingers across his smooth cheeks and jawbone. "You're quite the romantic when you want to be. I never feel lonely when I'm around you. And now, I have thought my feelings over, and I am certain of it." She whispered:

"I love you, Junichi-kun."

Sakaki's breath caught in his throat. "So…you too…"

"Yes." Kaori wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I only wish you had given me more time to think about my feelings before kissing me…"

"Yeah, sorry again," Sakaki laughed.

"But now," Kaori leaned in closer and whispered, "I'm ready." She closed her eyes and relaxed her lips. Seizing the moment, Sakaki pulled her in by the waist. He leaned in closer until their faces nearly touched. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers.

The amber sunset poured through the windows and bathed the embracing couple in all its glory. A moment like this, so beautiful, so right, was left untainted, unsoiled, by the envious hands of the shadows at their feet. If there was ever a moment in their lives they would replay over and over if given the chance, this would be the one. From their minds escaped all thoughts of Mieko, dying, revenge, regrets—there was nothing but this moment, nothing but this sheer happiness.

Kaori tilted her head back, and Sakaki leaned forward, continuing the kiss. He spread his hands from her waist to her arms to her shoulders to her jaw line to her hair. He ran his hands through her long locks, slid his fingers between the strands of golden brown.

_Hey, God…please let me be happy with her, for as long as possible, okay?_

At last, they parted. They opened their eyes and realized they were cloaked in amber. Kaori smiled and laughed shyly. Sakaki took her by the hand and spun her to face the setting sun. "Can you believe it?" he whispered.

"No, it…it still feels like a happy dream," Kaori sighed, leaning against his shoulder. "And if this is a dream, I don't want to wake up."

"I mean the sunset," Sakaki said, gesturing to the window. "It's been years since I've watched the sun set with the woman I loved."

_Four years ago, to be precise._ A lump caught in his throat.

"Oh, right," Kaori giggled.

"But yes, this is like a dream, isn't it?" Sakaki said. Again, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "We should have dinner soon."

"Yes, we should," Kaori murmured. But neither of them moved. "Sakaki-san…when we kissed, your bangs tickled my nose."

"Oh," Sakaki said. "Yeah, I should get them cut, shouldn't I?"

"No, it's okay," Kaori said, rubbing her arm against his. "It felt kind of nice."

Sakaki spun her to face him and said, with a smile, "Would you like to feel that again?"

"Ah…well…" Kaori stammered. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with a second declaration of eternal love…" She laughed, "Just listen to me now…when did I ever get to be so poetic..."

"I might have had something to do with that," Sakaki whispered.

The two kissed once again, not daring to part for many, many seconds until, at last, they separated and headed for the kitchen.


	15. Anywhere

A/N: This is the chapter that earns this story's newly-found (as of this typing) M-rating. Meaning, there will be incoming smut up ahead. You have been warned.

Also, thanks to **ladyhadhafang** for overlooking parts of this chapter, and for her song suggestion ("Anywhere" by Evanescence).

* * *

The woman knelt in front of the small shrine dedicated to her late husband, which sat in the corner of the living room, next to his favourite spot, and lit a stick of incense. "I know you don't like the smell, Yuushio," she sighed. "I know they used to give you a headache. But I know you also liked the smell of lavender, 'specially when I put on that perfume. So I…" She gulped. "I just thought you might…"

Her voice wavered. She reached out and spread the tips of her fingers across the cheap, wooden frame. In the picture, he was carrying their son on his shoulders through the forest. Both were smiling and waving to the camera. When she closed her eyes, she could picture that very day—Yuushio had decided their son was old enough to learn how to fish, so, on a day off, he took them down to the river bed. The sun was scorching through her sun dress, and pebbles had bounced into her sandals as she lay in her sun chair and read here magazine while waiting for the first catch. In the end, they hadn't caught any fish, but they still had fun together.

"It's all right, son," Yuushio had said as they packed up their rods. "We'll catch a big one another day, all right?"

That had been their last fishing trip together…

Before he had been assigned to guard the Kushinada report…

Before the police had come to tell her that Yuushio had been found lying in a pool of blood at the center….

They had never caught the murderer. And though no one could prove it, she was certain that the new assistant to that company was somehow involved….

She stifled a sob and slowly stood to her feet. She would have to start dinner soon.

* * *

There wasn't an evening meeting scheduled for that night, which left Sakaki and Kaori free to spend the rest of the evening together. Yet the couple barely spoke. Even during dinnertime, they could hardly look into each other's eyes without turning away and blushing. They were now a couple.

Now what?

What came next after confessing their love to one another? A chat? A kiss? A dance?

During that silent period, their minds raced with a thousand thoughts. There was so much they wanted to say, yet none of it could be said. When they tried, the words would fall flat on their tongues, and they'd go back to eating dinner.

After dinner, Sakaki broke the silence:

"Do you need me to help clean up?"

Surprised, Kaori said, "Er…no, that's okay. It's not a lot."

And then the silence resumed.

* * *

Kaori wiped the same spot on the same dish twenty times in a row before realizing she was out of it. In her life, she could never recall feeling this way towards another man. She had her share of childhood crushes, but those didn't last more than a week. During her teenage years, she had Kamibito classmates who kept their dating discreet and chaste, but she never knew anyone whom she had wanted to spend such time with. She had met many gentlemen during her university days, but not one caught her fancy.

And once she was told she had to stop attending classes, she gave up hope of finding anyone. Not that she had minded. It was just that it would've been _nice_ to have _someone_ accompany her, until the very end when she would be taken away (so she assumed). But she would never burden anyone like that. Nor did she meet a man whom she would even be tempted to burden like that.

Until now.

Kaori began to stack the dishes. She wondered where this relationship would end up. It would be nice to think that a miracle could happen, that her illness could be cured against all odds. But she knew in her heart that such a thing could never happen. All she could do was cherish the precious few years she had left with him.

And what could happen during that time?

Kaori's mind bubbled with excitement over the endless possibilities. So much so that she realized she was about to put the dishes into the trash bin.

Kaori laughed at herself and put the dishes back in their proper places. Indeed, life was short, and yet there was so much she wanted to do. If only she were given just one more year, or perhaps two, beyond the doctor's expectations that would be wonderful. That's all she would ask for...

But what to do _now?_

"Hey."

Kaori looked up. Sakaki stood in the entrance to the kitchen. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Then, he said:

"I'm, er…going to get ready. For bed."

"Already?" Kaori said, looking up at the clock. "It's only eight-thirty."

"Right, um…actually, I think I'll just…go up to my room for a bit and, uh…read," Sakaki muttered. He left as quickly as he had spoken those words.

_How long are we going to remain stuck in this stage for?_ Kaori thought as she closed the various cupboards. _Sooner or later, one of us will have to make the next move. We can't spend these last few years in such a broken silence!_

But what _was_ the next move?

Could it be…?

* * *

Sakaki lay on the bed and stared out the window. The sun had set during dinner and now the sky was a light shade of purple. He turned his focus back to the magazine on the nightstand. He picked it up and tried skimming through it, but all he could think of was what had happened just a few hours ago.

He closed his eyes and replayed the moment in his mind. The racing of his heart…that soft hand in his…those sweet, sweet words being cast back at him…her soft lips against his…

Sakaki opened his eyes and flipped through the pages once more. He was back at that geode article again. Sighing, he flopped the magazine back on the nightstand.

Why had he gone upstairs anyway? To give himself space to think? To ponder the next move in their relationship?

Sakaki turned and closed his eyes, drifting off gently…gently…gently…

With a start, he opened his eyes and turned the small alarm clock over. Nine thirty-five…just a little over an hour.

When he had last fallen asleep like that? It probably had something to do with this room. It gave off a very relaxing vibe.

Or perhaps _he_ was the one more relaxed.

Sakaki wondered if Kaori was still up. Even though she often went to bed earlier, sometimes she would push herself into staying up an extra few hours, and then spend the following day lying in bed until it was almost suppertime.

"Guess I should make sure she's not overdoing it again," Sakaki sighed. He had begun to get off the bed when he heard a knock on the door.

"Junichi-kun?" Kaori said on the other side. "May I come in?"

"Sure," Sakaki said. He walked over to the other side of the bed just as Kaori opened the door. She stepped inside and said, "Can we talk?"

"Of course," said Sakaki.

Kaori closed the door behind her and walked up to Sakaki. She bit her lower lip and tried to make her eyes meet his, but quickly looked away, her face turning deep red.

"Kaori?" Sakaki said.

"Um…" Kaori looked back into Sakaki's eyes and said, "Junichi-kun…about what was said between us a few hours ago…"

Sakaki held his breath. She wasn't going to take it back, was she?

As if reading his mind, Kaori said, "I absolutely meant what I said. I _do_ love you, more than I've ever loved another man in my entire life. And now…"

She stopped. Then, she untied the shawl around her neck and placed it on the nightstand. "I've thought over my feelings for you," she said. "And I'm absolutely certain of them. And now, I…"

Kaori gulped. She was trembling. "Kaori?" Sakaki said. "Is everything…?"

"Have you ever…well…been with anyone?" Kaori blurted out.

"Been with…?..._Oh,"_ Sakaki said when he realized what Kaori had meant. In the back of his mind, he dared to raise the hope of what her intentions had been in coming to his room, but he quickly dismissed those thoughts and decided to answer honestly:

"Just Mieko."

Kaori looked away once more. "I see. Well…I've never been in any kind of relationship like this before. So I've never been with anyone." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I should've just said it as soon as I came in."

She looked back into Sakaki's eyes and said:

"I want to take this further. I'm ready."

"You…you mean…" Sakaki whispered. Kaori nodded.

It wasn't that he _didn't_ want it. He had just never _thought_ of it. The only thing he could think about, in regards to his relationship with Kaori, was how little time they had left and how he wanted to spend it with her. Yet somehow, sex never made the list. And when he looked at her, he found the idea almost impossible. Her body was so fragile, how could he risk hurting her like that?

Well…it _might_ be okay _if_ he went gently…

But was this _really_ okay? Was he certain he'd see Kaori as Kaori, and not as Mieko?

Well, he had seen her as Kaori when he confessed his love for her, didn't he?

So why should this be any different?

"Junichi-kun?"

Kaori's voice drew him out of his thoughts. That soft, sweet voice…

"Are you sure?" Sakaki asked.

Kaori took his hand in hers and whispered, "Absolutely."

_It's not right…what if this reminds you of Mieko…what if…_

Sakaki pushed the voice out of his mind, took Kaori by the shoulders, and gently lowered the two of them onto the bed, he on top of her. Then, he looked into her eyes. Their faces were close enough to touch, their lips were just inches away from each other, and their hearts beating faster than a single flash of lightning.

Kaori reached for Sakaki's vest.

_I know she's Kaori…not Mieko…I don't need to worry myself about that…I've done this before, so I know what to do…_

Then why was he shaking? Why was he trembling at her slightest touch as though this was his first time? As though he was a virgin, just like her?

The vest fell to the ground. Kaori's hands reached for the buttons on his shirt. Her fingers shook, and she couldn't snap them open. She gulped and tried again, going slower. But in the back of her mind, she knew this act would lead them one step closer to consummating their relationship. And for that to happen, he would have to see her…

Would he even _want_ her?

Kaori snapped off the last button and pulled the shirt back. Her eyes wandered to his bare chest and torso. He didn't have the figure of a supermodel or star athlete, but he was still in-shape and so...unblemished.

Sakaki pulled off the shirt and tossed it aside. He stroked Kaori's cheek and whispered, "Hey…can I try something?"

"Wh…what would that 'something' be?" Kaori asked shyly.

Sakaki leaned in closer. His breath smelled of apple cider. "Another type of kissing," he whispered.

"I…I didn't _know_ there were types of kissing!" Kaori laughed weakly. "Why don't you just…show me?"

"All right," Sakaki said. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Open your mouth, just by a little bit."

"Huh…?"

"Trust me." His grip around her waist loosened.

"O…okay," Kaori said slowly. She closed her eyes and parted her lips by a few inches, wondering what he was about to do.

Then, she felt something thick and wet slide into her mouth, between her teeth, and a pair of lips close over hers.

"Mm…mmph…" A rising heat stirred in her panties. But even though it felt "good", at the same time it felt…_weird._

Kaori broke off the kiss and gasped for air. "S, sorry…that was...too much…Junichi-kun? Would it be all right if…if I undressed?"

Sakaki backed off. Kaori sat up straight and bit her lip. She could do this. She _had_ to do it in order for them to…

"Please look away," she said quietly. She turned away from him and crawled to the edge of the bed, wondering if he would still want her after this. She closed her eyes and reached for the zipper on the back of her dress. With one, slow move, she unzipped it, and slipped it down her shoulders, her chest shaking with every breath.

_It was one thing when he agreed to this, but when he sees my body…oh, why did I come here? It seemed like a good idea at the time._

Before she knew it, her blouse was lying on the floor, and her dress came down to her waist. Kaori took another deep breath, stood up, and pulled the dress the rest of the way down until it fell. She sat back on the bed and said, "You can look now."

She turned at the same time he did. Sakaki looked into her tear-brimmed eyes. She wore only her slip, bra, and panties, all of which were white as snow. Her bare skin, much like her arms, was stretched and aged by thirty more years. A deep, red rash covered her upper arms, and the veins in her legs were like vines.

Kaori looked back over at the dress lying on the floor. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "This was a bad idea." _I was so foolish. How could I think Junichi-kun would ever want—_

"Ah-!" Kaori gasped. Sakaki wrapped an arm wrapped her around the waist and turned her back to face him. His eyes moved across her face. He kissed down her neck and across her shoulders. Kaori held her breath, wondering where this was going.

His lips passed over her rash and aged skin, as though she were spotless. It was all Kaori could do to keep herself from breaking down bawling.

"J, Junichi-kun…" she whispered, unable to hold back the two, hot tears that streamed down her face and splashed in Sakaki's hair. He looked up and whispered, "Kaori, you're beautiful."

"Ah…thank you," Kaori whispered. Anything else she could've said would make her cry harder.

Sakaki pulled Kaori onto his lap, and turned her to face away from him. "Let me know if it feels too rough, okay?"

"E—eh!?" Kaori cried out.

"Oh no, we're not getting to _that_ part yet," Sakaki quickly said. "Just try to enjoy the moment, and let me know if you're not."

"O, okay…" Kaori gulped and nodded. She leaned against his chest with a sigh. His hands slid down her waist and to her thighs. She wriggled at his touch, causing him to hesitate.

"It's okay," she said, turning to him with a smile. "I want it."

Sakaki was frowning. "But you'll let me know if…"

"Oh, of course," Kaori said, tapping him on the nose. She leaned her head on his shoulders and shivered as his hand drew nearer to her panties. He slid his fingers across the damp, heated cotton. At his touch, Kaori silently gasped. She curled her toes as the pulsating heat grew with each stroke he took. "Please…" she whispered. "Just a small bit…"

Sakaki slid his fingers between the cotton and her skin. He lightly touched her damp skin and traced his fingers across her folds, not going in just yet. She was still a virgin, she was still delicate. He had to take this slow, for her sake.

"A…ha….ha…."

Kaori squirmed at his touch. A few, small drops of her fluids dripped onto his fingers, and she looked away with her face pink. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Nah, it happens," Sakaki said with a shrug. "Want me to go further?"

Her folds tensed up beneath his touch. "No, that'll be fine for now," she said. "But it still felt good," she added with a small smile.

Sakaki slipped his fingers out. They were still wet, but he could live with that. Kaori took his hands and placed them on the hem of her slip. "If you may?"

"Right, right," Sakaki muttered. "Just raise your arms a bit…yeah, like that."

Kaori shivered as the silk fabric slid across her skin and over her head. The room couldn't have grown colder, for she was now hotter. The growing heat in her face rose as Sakaki tossed the slip aside. She turned herself to face him and said, with the same smile, "So…do I look okay?"

The rest of her skin looked much like her arms and legs—thin and red—but it was her ribs that caught Sakaki's attention and made him gasp. Her ribs weren't protruding, but they were still noticeable. They made Sakaki closely examine the rest of Kaori's body. She was thin, dangerously so. Was this another product of…?

The corners of Kaori's lips turned down. "No, no, it's all right," Sakaki quickly said. "It's just…"

"I know," Kaori said quietly. "The doctor says he wants to discuss my diet with me on the next visit. I haven't had much of an appetite lately, so…"

"Got it," Sakaki said. He paused. "Anyway…the bra…"

"Right," Kaori murmured. "Do you need help?"

"I'll try first," Sakaki said. He forced his eyes away from the signs of her fragile body and onto the bra. It was a white soft cup bra with enough space to show her cleavage. With his fingers, he searched for the hooks around the back. He found them, but his fingers shook. What was he doing? What had he done? When they got to the _act…_

"I think I need help," Sakaki admitted. "Sorry, it's been four years since I last did this."

Even then, he couldn't remember being very good at it. Mieko had teased him over it—

This was not Mieko.

"Allow me," Kaori said.

Sakaki backed off and watched as Kaori unhooked her bra. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were focusing on everywhere in the room except him, but there was also a look of determination within them. She bit her lip and took off the bra, tossing it onto the floor. Her breasts weren't affected as badly, but the center of her chest also had the same aged, stretched look.

"H, hey," Sakaki said, "since you're almost undressed, maybe I should…"

Kaori nodded, still unable to look him in the eye. Sakaki unbuckled his belt and reached for the zipper of his pants, wondering if this was such a good idea. Even if he _tried_ to be gentle, would he still hurt her? Would he become consumed by his first sight of a half-naked woman's body in four years and make love to her as passionately as he had to Mieko? Would she be able to handle it?

Now, Sakaki's pants lay on the floor. He held Kaori by the shoulders and kissed down her collarbone to between her chest. She moaned softly and held him closer until their arms touched. His lips moved to her breasts. He cupped her right one in his hand. His palm felt warm and soft, yet his fingertips were slightly calloused.

Her knees shook as his lips passed across the dainty skin and over her nipple. Instinctively, she held him by the back of his head, running her hand through his dark, dry hair and warm scalp.

"A…ah…" Kaori's legs twitched as his tongue flicked, prompting a soft, voiceless "Yes" from between her lips. A weak, hot pulsation down below was building up, and she didn't dare try to stop it. She wrapped her legs around his and whispered, "Just…a little more…please…"

Sakaki kissed down the skin and across her chest before laying his head on her other breast. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. He could feel his erection building. Soon, they could actually get to 'it'. An airy voice floated through his mind and whispered, _There's nothing wrong with this, absolutely nothing wrong with this…._

"Ah!" Sakaki jerked his head up. Kaori's knees had brushed against his underwear. She sat up and said, "Ah, sorry!" She glanced at the bulge in his boxers and said, "Do you want me to do something about that?"

"Uh…do what you can," Sakaki said with a nod, wondering what Kaori had in mind.

Kaori bit her lip and slid her hand down the front. Sakaki let out a short gasp when he felt her cold hand brush against his hot ere—

_Oh. Yes._

She was rubbing, fast and hard, not sure of how far she should go.

_Yes. Don't stop. More._

"Gah!" Sakaki gasped. Kaori looked at him with her eyebrows and lips turned down. "It's all right…"

"If you say so," Kaori muttered. "Mind if I…?"

"Go ahead," Sakaki murmured. Was this delirium? Was he losing his head? Or was he finally remembering what pure _pleasure_ felt like?

Kaori pulled his boxers off. She gasped and turned away, blushing. "Oh my…" She laughed, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Sakaki sighed.

"Um…" Kaori frowned. "Should I do anything else with it…? Like…playing with it in some way…?"

He shook his head. "Nah, let's save that for next time." His muscles tensed at the term 'next time'. The term implied there would be other times after this. Meaning, this act would seal their commitment.

Sakaki wasn't sure whether to feel excited or afraid over this.

Kaori, too, was caught off-guard by this, and said, "You mean…we'll do this again?" She laughed, "Obviously…I mean…so about my panties…"

"Ah, right, right," Sakaki muttered. He laughed, "Sorry…it's seems like we're taking so long, doesn't it?"

"I don't mind," Kaori said, brushing her hair aside. She lay on her back, spread her legs apart and said, "Like this?"

"Yeah," Sakaki nodded. "Like that." He slid himself on top of her, just above her breasts, and traced his kisses downwards. He kissed past her thin rib cage, past her flat, stretched stomach, and stopped just above her panties. By now, they had grown much darker, and, from the feel of his fingers, much damper. He slid them down and off, and waited for Kaori's reaction.

"Kaori? Should I go any further?" he asked.

"Sure," Kaori nodded.

Sakaki hesitated, hoping he could still remember how to do this. Cautiously, he moved his tongue around her sensitive, wet flesh. He went slow and smooth. Nothing about this _could_ hurt her, right? It _wouldn't_ hurt her, right?

Well, she didn't _sound_ like she was in pain. If anything, the rising sounds in her throat indicated the opposite.

He stopped, and used two of his fingers to part her folds, and slipped them inside. Her flesh clamped around them and she gasped, "Oh…my…I didn't think this would…feel…so…._aaaahh!"_ she cried out as her back arched and her whole body trembled.

Alarmed, Sakaki removed his fingers and sat up. For a moment, he assumed the worst, but when he looked into her flushed face, and listened to her heavy panting, he realized she hadn't been in any pain. She was having an _orgasm._

And in spite of himself, Sakaki laughed.

"Wh, what?" Kaori asked. Her bangs brushed against her sweaty forehead.

"Nothing," Sakaki sighed. "I just get worried over nothing. So…how was that?"

Kaori smiled and nodded. "That was nice. I wasn't sure what it would be like, but…so…" She said what they were thinking out loud: "Now we're both naked."

"That we are," Sakaki said. Their eyes met. This should've been the sign that there was no turning back now. This didn't stop them from hesitating, shivering in anticipation, each thinking, _Are we really going to do this?_

"Kaori…" Sakaki spoke. "…are you sure? It _can_ hurt…for some women…"

"And you're afraid it'll hurt _me?"_ Kaori sat up and slid over to him. "I'll be fine. If it hurts too much, I'll let you know, and we'll stop. But…what would that make what happened up until now…?"

Sakaki shrugged. "Harmless experimentation, I guess? Some couples do that, like with…" He didn't dare finish the sentence. "How should…I mean…without…"

This was wrong. He couldn't do it. But it was too late. And it was all because of his selfish desires. He would hurt her. She would try to mask the pain, but—

"Junichi-kun." She spread the tips of her fingers across his cheek. "Please. I want this with you. If it's with anyone before…" Her voice broke and she blinked back tears. "I want it to be with you," she choked out.

Sakaki looked into her tear-brimmed eyes. "Kaori…" he whispered, and his voice broke, unable to say the rest of it. But Kaori understood and wrapped her legs around his waist. She gulped and nodded, whispering, "Please."

He wrapped one arm around her back, holding her in his steady grip. He tried to enter her slowly, but she cried out. She blinked, and insisted, her voice wavering, "I—I'm all right."

He tried to go a bit slower, but she still gasped sharply. He wondered if this was too much, if he should turn back now—

"Just hold me," Kaori whispered. He stopped moving, and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Kaori lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Sakaki lay his head on top of hers, breathing in her vanilla-scented shampoo. Both were shaking, and both were waiting for their bodies to adjust. Outside, the wind howled and hissed across the trees.

How long had it been since he had ever felt like this? How long since he had made love to another woman? After Mi—

No. He wouldn't think of her right now. He would only focus on the fragile body he held in his arms, wondering if it was possible for his heart to break during one of the best nights of his life. _She loves me…she really loves me…_

"I…I think I might be okay if you move now…" Kaori whispered. "But maybe it'll be easier if we try lying down, okay?" She clasped her sweaty palms around his waist and admitted, "My legs are getting tired."

"Yeah," Sakaki sighed. He held one of her hands and stroked her thumb. "So are mine."

* * *

Within the night, a series of gasps and caresses were exchanged between the couple. Lustful hands traced across their flesh—hers across his back muscles, his across her hips, and the top of her legs. Voiceless whispers of each other's names radiated on top of the squeaky springs. She tilted her head back and gasped deeply, silently begging for more. He was inside her now, deep enough to make her feel and _want._ The pain had long faded (though it left a dull ache) and all she could think about, beyond the warmth and desire, was how thankful she was to have this one moment.

And as he traced kisses down her neck, tasting the salty sweat and tears, he was blinded by pure euphoria, overtaken by an overwhelming mix of physical pleasure and emotional high. For a moment, he could envision a future where Kaori was well, and would live to old age.

And maybe, they could be _happy._

He gasped suddenly, and his body shivered against hers. They could feel it ending, but the beauty of this moment would stay with them long past the climax.

* * *

The moonlight shined upon the couple, who now lay side-by-side in each other's arms, her head leaned against his chest, his on top of her head, their arms wrapped around each other, the sweaty sheets wrapped around their waists. Kaori wrapped one of her aching legs around his and murmured, "Your heart's beating really, really fast."

"Yours probably is, too," Sakaki said, running his fingers through her long, soft hair.

"We're lovers now, aren't we?" Kaori's voice trembled.

"Of course," Sakaki said, squeezing her tighter. "Lovers"…the word almost made him cringe. After Mieko was gone, he had sworn off lovers for life. But now, after being reminded of what it felt like to _have_ a lover…perhaps starting over wouldn't be so bad.

He kissed her on the head and whispered:

"I love you."

Before, he had used _"daisuki"._ Now, he used _"aishiteru"._

"I love you," Kaori whispered back.

As the lovers drifted off to sleep, they silently prayed for this happiness to last a little while longer beyond this embrace.

_Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me_  
_And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free_  
_I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you_  
_And at sweet night, you are my own_

_-"Anywhere", Evanescence_


	16. Crack the Shutters

_Crack the shutters open wide, I wanna bathe you in the light of day_

_And just watch you as the rays tangle up around your face and body_

_I could sit for hours finding new ways to be awed each minute_

_'Cause the daylight seems to want you just as much as I want you_

_-"Crack the Shutters", Snow Patrol_

* * *

For a moment, Sakaki thought it had just been a happy dream. But when he heard Kaori's soft breathing, and felt her warm body wrapped around his, he opened his eyes and smiled.

It had really happened. They had made love.

And he regretted none of it.

Kaori's eyelids fluttered open. She met his eyes, her cheeks pink. "It's morning," she muttered softly.

Sakaki turned his head. Through the window, a brilliant, bright sunshine bathed them in a warm glow, as though to bless them.

He turned back to Kaori and kissed the top of her head. He ran a hand through her silky hair and whispered, "Yes, it's morning."

Kaori, holding on to Sakaki's hips for support, pulled herself up and nuzzled her nose against his cheek. "It really happened, didn't it?" she murmured.

Sakaki gave her body a light squeeze. "It sure did."

"Ah-" Kaori winced.

"What's the matter?" Sakaki let go.

"It's my legs," Kaori sighed, rubbing her calves. "They're so sore…ah!" she cried out as Sakaki hoisted her legs on top of his shoulder. He massaged them and said, "That better?"

"Ah…yes," Kaori sighed. "Although, I also feel sore 'down there', too…that's normal for the first time, right?"

"How sore do you feel?" Sakaki asked, meeting her eyes.

"It's not _painful,_ it just _aches,"_ Kaori assured him. She sighed, "To think you were so worried about hurting me last night…"

"And did I?" Sakaki asked. He let go of her legs. Kaori smiled, cupped his face, and said, "Of course not. I'm glad for last night, and I don't regret any of it." She rolled over on her side. "What time is it?" She reached for the alarm clock on the dresser.

"Does it matter?" Sakaki asked, reaching for her hand.

"Don't you have work today?" Kaori asked.

Sakaki shrugged. "Eh, I'll only be late by a few minutes."

"But you still shouldn't be late," Kaori said, shaking her head.

"I could call in sick," Sakaki suggested. He kissed down the back of her neck and whispered, "Then we could do whatever we wanted…"

"Oh, I won't let you do _that!"_ Kaori insisted, pulling away. She picked up the clock. "Eight o'clock." She put it back down. "You could at least start showering."

"I think we _both_ need a shower," Sakaki sighed. He pulled her in by the waist. "We could take one together." He grinned. "And then I could show you what two people can do in a shower…"

Kaori rolled over on her back just he rolled on his side. She giggled, "My, my, you're out to corrupt me, aren't you?"

"What, I haven't succeeded already?" Sakaki teased. He rolled on top of her and she pulled him over with the sheets with a giggle.

"You know," Kaori looked up into his eyes, "I'm not feeling _too_ sore, so maybe we could…just quickly…"

Sakaki turned his eyebrows down. "Are you sure you would be up for it?"

"If we go slow, sure," Kaori said, wrapping her hands around his waist. "But after that, _you _have to get ready for work, got it?"

"Fine, fine," Sakaki sighed. "I got it, I got it."

The two smiled and giggled. They untangled the sheets and searched with their hands before claiming each other once more.

* * *

As it turned out, today's session would begin at noon, leaving Sakaki and Kaori the rest of the morning to spend together. They sat in the living room together, each wearing a bathrobe, sipping coffee and eating a bowl of cereal. They exchanged smiles and mused over where their relationship was taking them. The curtains were closed to give them some privacy, but were still open by a small sliver to allow sunlight to pour in.

_So now we've slept together,_ Sakaki thought, stirring his spoon in the milk. _Made love. Had sex. However you say it, there's no turning back now._ He stroked Kaori's hand and thought, _And I wouldn't dream of it._

Kaori grimaced. "Ah, perhaps making love a second time wasn't such a good idea," she said, rubbing her legs together. "I'll be okay," she added. "But we should probably wait another day or two before doing this again."

"Nah, it's okay," Sakaki shrugged. "It happens. We all get carried away."

"Did you and Mieko-san get 'carried away'?" Kaori asked.

Sakaki hesitated. "Sometimes…once in a while…"

"I see," Kaori said. She took another sip of coffee and said, "I'm done. I'll just take my dishes to the kitchen. Do you need me to take anything from you?"

"Nah, still working on it," Sakaki said, taking another spoonful of milk and shredded flakes of…something.

As Kaori left with her cup and bowl, Sakaki leaned back on the couch and let out a dreamy sigh. _I'm in love…I'm in love…I never thought I'd think THAT to myself ever again after Mieko. I'm in love and I don't care about anything else, not even—_

_Did we use protection?_

Sakaki abruptly crashed off his happy cloud as he realized:

_No, we didn't._

_Damn._

A quick panic struck through his heart. What happened last night hadn't been planned. They had just _done it._ So of course, he didn't have any condoms with him.

"Junichi-kun?" Kaori walked over to him. "What's wrong?"

Sakaki looked once again into her eyes. Were her eyes twinkling? Did her face glow because she was happy or because she was…?

"Kaori," he said, "we didn't use protection, did we?"

Kaori's smile fell. "No, we didn't," she said. "Although…" She paused. "I don't think it matters."

"And why wouldn't it matter?" Sakaki asked slowly.

Kaori sat next to him. "I know it's not a happy subject," she said, "but…it's related to my illness. You see…remember how I had that doctor's appointment the day after I asked you out? She said that she can't confirm anything yet, since not a lot is known about my condition, but…she suspected I might not ever be able to have children."

The panic in his heart began to fade. "Did he say why he thinks that?" Sakaki asked.

"Well, since I'm aging quicker, I might lose my fertility just as quick," Kaori explained. "I'm still getting periods, and I haven't shown any signs of menopause yet, so there's still a chance I _could_ get pregnant, but that chance would be very slim. At least, that's what she said."

Internally, Sakaki breathed a huge sigh of relief. _So she can't get pregnant…good. One less thing to worry about when we make love again…_

Yet Kaori didn't look as relieved. She had a far-off, sad look in her eyes. Did _she_ want children? Was she secretly hoping for a miracle to occur?

"Look on the bright side." Sakaki held her hands. "At least we won't have to trouble ourselves with protection."

"I suppose not," Kaori sighed, though she didn't smile. "It's just…" She gulped. "Part of me had wanted to be a mother someday…" She forced a smile. "But I guess we all have to compromise, right?" She looked into Sakaki's eyes. "What about you? Do _you_ want children?"

"Absolutely not," Sakaki said without a second thought. He didn't say the reason why out loud, but he had a feeling Kaori could figure it out anyway—because when Mieko died, his vision of their future together died with her. And this included having a child. Therefore, he was certain he never, ever wanted children, and nothing would change his mind.

(A voice in the back of his mind spoke, "You also swore off love affairs for life after Mieko", but this voice was quelled)

"Oh," Kaori sighed. "I see. Then maybe this is for the best…" She gulped again. "I had thought about asking you about adoption, but if you don't want children…"

"Hey," Sakaki stroked her cheek, "we'll figure out what to do about kids later, okay? Right now, let's just enjoy what we have."

Just then, there was a knock at the door and a voice:

"Kaori-san? I brought that sheet music you were asking for the other day."

"Ah, just a minute!" Kaori called out. She stood to her feet with the couch handle for support while Sakaki said, "What should I do?"

"Just stay there," Kaori said as she walked to the door. "It won't take more than five minutes." She opened the door by a crack and said, "Ah, Sachiko-san! Good morning!"

"Good morning to you, too, Kaori-san," Sachiko's cheerful voice rang out. "I hope I didn't wake you up?"

"Oh no, I've been up for a while now," Kaori assured her. "Anyway, you said you have some music sheets for me?"

"Right here." Sakaki turned his head. His mother handed Kaori a worn-out book. Only her hands could be seen. "May I come in?"

Kaori and Sakaki exchanged a glance, neither knowing what to say. Alas, this move was their downfall.

"Wait a minute." Sachiko's tone caused Sakaki's body to tense up. "What, or whom, were you looking at?"

"Ah…"

"Just let her come in," Sakaki sighed, rubbing his temples, hoping this wouldn't be _too_ painful. He closed his eyes and waited for the footsteps to stop before opening them. His mother was looking back and forth between the couple, observing their state of dress and uncomfortable, flustered looks.

"Ah," Sachiko said in her 'I get it now' voice. "So my advice worked out better than I thought."

"_Mother,"_ Sakaki groaned, wondering why she was here _now,_ of all times in the day for her to arrive.

"Well, I suppose the two of you are adults now, so it's not my place to stop you," Sachiko sighed. She looked over at Sakaki. "But I would still like to have a private talk with you. In the kitchen, if you don't mind."

As Sakaki stood up, he couldn't erase feeling as though he had been caught with one hand in the cookie jar.

* * *

"Before you say anything, yes, Kaori and I are now having…relations," Sakaki said as they stood in the kitchen. He leaned against the fridge folding his arms together. Sachiko stood by the sink. "What else do you want to know?"

"I know what happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom," Sachiko said, fiddling with the strap of her purse. "That doesn't mean I'm _comfortable_ with the idea. But it doesn't have anything to do with Kaori-san." Her face warmed up. "She's a wonderful young lady and I think you made a fine choice." She switched to a stern expression. "What I want to talk to you about is your _reason_ for sleeping with her."

"And? Do I _need_ a reason?" Sakaki asked. "We're in love."

"And I believe you," Sachiko said, but she frowned. "But don't you think this is moving too fast? How long had you known Mieko for before you started sleeping with her?"

Sakaki froze. "Crap," he muttered with a scowl.

"Watch your language," Sachiko scolded, wagging her finger at him like he had tracked mud into the house. "I figured out you had lost your virginity to Mieko a long time ago. I didn't think it was any of my business to interfere if the two of you were in love. However, I doubt you slept with her after only going out for a week."

_Oh, for the love of—we are NOT having this conversation. This HAS to be some kind of twisted dream._

"Six months," Sakaki muttered. He sighed, "We had been going out for six months—plenty of time for us to get to know each other."

"And what makes you think three or four months is any _more_ time?" Sachiko asked. "I don't doubt your feelings for her, but I know you—you can be bullheaded and impulsive when you get yourself worked up over something, just like on the day of…" She stopped herself. "Like when you get angry." She shook her head. "Anyway, that's not the only thing I wanted to ask. What I would also like to know is…" She hesitated and blushed slightly. "Are you being…careful?"

Sakaki stifled a groan. "We are _not_ having this conversation."

"Just answer the question," Sachiko said, folding her arms. "And I don't just mean whether or not you're being safe. I also mean whether or not you're sure of what you're doing in this relationship."

Sakaki brushed aside a strand of his bangs. "Don't worry about it, mother," he said. "I know what I'm doing."

"In that case," Sachiko headed for the living room, "the only thing I can tell you is to be careful."

Sakaki tapped a cramping foot. Well, he'd probably start by being 'careful' not to stay in one position for too long next time.

* * *

Tatsuya had seen Sakaki on his good days and on his bad days.

But he had never seen him like _this_ on either days.

During the afternoon session, Sakaki had arrived fifteen minutes earlier with a bright smile on his face. Not a superior smirk, not a 'Kushinada-will-never-know-what-hit-her-in-the-ova ries' smile, but a real, genuine, happy _smile._ He walked with a small skip in his step (though he tried to disguise it with as much dignity as possible) and spoke to everyone, even Misaki, on friendly terms.

It scared him.

But not enough to shake his nerves during the evening meeting. Though Sakaki still kept up the same, unnerving cheerful demeanor during the meeting, Tatsuya took the time to notice Nemuru's reaction to his behavior.

"Sakaki-san?" Nemuru said. "If you don't mind, I would like to turn our discussion to the possibility of releasing an official explanation about how this surgery is supposed to go."

"Yes, yes, when _should_ we do that?" Sakaki murmured, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Perhaps sometime in January?" Nemuru suggested. "It will give us enough time to write up a proper discussion, including a possible question-and-answer session."

Sakaki scoffed, "Oh? You have any suggestions for these 'questions' or 'answers'?"

"It would just be a general forum for people to bring up any concerns they might have, and we could answer them right away," Nemuru said. She frowned and balled up her hands together. She tilted her head to her left.

_Ah, so she senses something odd, too,_ Tatsuya thought. _But is it just about this man alone, or is she on to us?_

"So you _want_ to give people room to openly doubt our intentions and then make fools of ourselves?" Sakaki said, adjusting his tie.

"That's not what I was saying," Nemuru said, but her voice lacked the same tension from when he usually criticized her. "In fact, I was suggesting the opposite."

Sakaki let out an airy sigh. "Fine, fine, but what about funding? We're fine for the moment, but money doesn't come out of thin air. We'll need something to keep our funds up."

Nemuru blinked. "Are we still talking about our future question-and-answer session?"

"Oh, yeah, that," Sakaki said, his eyes darting over to the window and back to Nemuru. "Then, ah…we could have a fundraising ball sometime next month just to show everyone our first thoughts are with our commitment to this surgery so that the question-and-answer thing will go over okay the following month?"

"I'm fine with it, if Tatsuya-san doesn't have any objections," Nemuru said with a slight nod. She turned to Tatsuya. "Tatsuya-san?"

"Sounds brilliant," Tatsuya said, rubbing the dry skin on his hand with his thumb. "We can discuss the proper arrangements another time."

As he turned the topic elsewhere, he observed Sakaki's behavior, and wondered about his relationship with that woman…Kaori Mana? Perhaps their relationship had reached new heights and they had…?

And if this _was_ the case, all the better for Tatsuya. Now that their commitment had deepened, this could only mean Sakaki would become more desperate and vulnerable. Now, it was only a matter of waiting.

* * *

As the next few weeks flew by, Sakaki and Kaori's lovemaking grew more frequent. They weren't sleeping together every night, but they had moved up to sharing the same bed, and stayed up having long conversations.

"Have you ever woken up early enough to watch the sun rise?" Kaori asked one night, leaning her head on his shoulder. The fleece of her pyjama sleeves rubbed against his wrists.

"Sometimes, but I couldn't stay around long enough to appreciate it," Sakaki said, pulling the blankets up to their chests. "I had to go to work for an early morning shift—that was in university. What about you?"

"Once," Kaori said. "It was sometime after I started living with my grandmother. I woke up early, and couldn't go back to sleep, so I went to the kitchen and got some crackers and a glass of milk. I took them to the living room and ate and drank while watching the sun come up. It was so…so _beautiful._ It's one of those things that makes you appreciate life, and…oh, I couldn't do it justice. You would need to see it for yourself."

"I'll have to make time for it someday," Sakaki said, blinking to keep his eyes open. "Have you ever watched the sun go down?"

Kaori ran a finger over one of his buttons. "I might have," she yawned. "I can't remember right now, though…oh, except for…our date? Was the sun setting, then…?"

Her eyelids drooped and she floated off into a deep, blissful sleep. Sakaki smiled. He whispered, "It was."

* * *

On another night, after they had finished making love, Kaori sat up in bed and asked Sakaki a question:

"How much longer do you think we can continue like this?"

"What do you mean?" Sakaki sat up. He reached for his shirt across the sheets and slipped it back on. The room was a bit chilly tonight; he noted to check the thermostat in the morning.

"Like…as we are." Kaori stared out the window. "I haven't had any fevers in a while, but I do still have days when I feel weak and out-of-breath. It reminds me of how vulnerable we are."

"We?"

Kaori nodded. "Yes. We need each other. I hope we can keep going on like this, but I don't know how long that will last for." She sighed, "Sorry to be so gloomy, but it's been on my mind lately. But anyway…" She smiled. "The moon is so beautiful tonight, isn't it?"

She pushed her hair behind her shoulders. The blankets were around her waist, baring her upper body, which was silhouetted by the pouring moonlight. She no longer hid her body—now, she allowed Sakaki to see her as she was. And what he saw was a beautiful young woman wrapped up in the shawl of the moon.

Sakaki kissed the back of her neck and traced patterns around her waist and stomach. Her airy laughter was like a fleece blanket. He whispered, "Oh, I think we can keep doing this for a while."

* * *

November was fading fast. Now, it was the second of December. As Sakaki took a drink from the water fountain, he wondered how time could have flown by so quickly. His nights with Kaori—the sweet ones, the passionate ones, the ones where they talked until one in the morning, the ones where they made love until 'time' became a meaningless word—had blended together into one, blissful experience. It had been enough to make him forget all thoughts of revenge.

But was that a good thing? Was he disrespecting Mieko's memory by 'forgetting' about her?

"Mieko," Sakaki asked, turning off the fountain, "is this what you want?"

_Did I ever once say I wanted you to seek revenge?_

"No, but…but…"

_Would your revenge really be about avenging my death? Or would it just be to give you peace of mind? You've already found that now with Kaori-san, right?_

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Sakaki sighed. "I've always been a foolish man, haven't I, Mieko?"

"Who are you talking to?"

Sakaki gasped and spun around. Nemuru was standing in front of him, raising her eyebrows.

"No one," Sakaki scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Why are _you_ so eager to know?"

Nemuru frowned. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I swore you were talking about Mieko-san."

Was it Sakaki's imagination, or had Nemuru stiffened up at the name just as he had? He clenched his fists and sneered, "So what if I was? What makes you think _you_ have the right to ask?"

Nemuru flinched, but stood firm. "Perhaps I don't have the right to ask you about Mieko-san. But I _do_ wish to ask what your real plan is with Tatsuya-san."

"My real plan, huh?" Sakaki smirked. "You want to know _that_ badly? You don't have any _faith_ in us?"

"I'm not saying I don't, but—ah! Tatsuya-san!" Nemuru said with a bow as Tatsuya came around the corner with a thick manila envelope.

"Good evening, Kushinada-san," Tatsuya said with a bow. "I'm just here to drop off the results of the last test—the one with the rats."

"Did it go as expected?" Nemuru asked.

Tatsuya and Sakaki shared a smile. Nemuru stifled the urge to accuse them of being up to something after all. She couldn't jump to conclusions _yet._

"In a sense, yes," Tatsuya said. "However, one of the rats died in the experiment, so we may have to start over."

"Should I talk to the research scientists?" Nemuru asked.

"I'm afraid they've gone home for the night," Tatsuya said with a pitiful sigh. "I'll make a note to have them talk to you tomorrow, if you wish. Oh, and I almost forgot—about that fundraising ball you and Sakaki-san mentioned a few weeks ago? We have a set date: December seventeenth."

Sakaki raised his eyebrows and turned his head sharply. "The seventeenth? That's—never mind," he shook his head.

"Something wrong?" Tatsuya asked. "Do you have anything planned for that day?"

"Not…in particular, no," Sakaki said slowly. "But..." His eyes switched over to Nemuru. "Is Kushinada needed for this?"

"We could discuss this in more detail tomorrow," Tatsuya said, checking his wristwatch. "Right now, though, I think we should get back in the conference room to wrap things up."

"Speaking of which," Nemuru said as the three began to walk down the hall together, "next week will be my last week supervising. Then I'll turn in a report to the neighbourhood council and neighbourhood association. So if there's anything else you wish to bring up in my presence…"

"Understood," Tatsuya said. As he said this, he and Sakaki shared another glance. Nemuru thought,_ I think I'll stay behind a few extra minutes tonight._

* * *

After the meeting was over, Nemuru walked out of the conference room along with the others and turned around a corner. Then, she stopped and peered from behind. Tatsuya was the last to leave. He walked over to one of the scientists and gave him something—a bottle? Pills?

Tatsuya gave a small nod and he headed down the hall with the scientist. Nemuru followed a few steps behind, then stopped and waited for them to walk the rest of the way, all the while keeping herself hidden from their sight as much as possible. This was it. She was about to find out what they were _really_ up to. And then she would _finally_ have something to deliver.

But then she'd be asked how she knew about it, and she would have to admit she had been spying on them. At the very least, this might give her some leverage if anything went wrong.

The two men stepped behind a door marked "RADIOLOGY". Wait…Tatsuya had given the scientist pills…and they were heading for the _radiology_ department?

"What are you doing here?"

Nemuru gasped and spun around, her heart skipping a beat. Then, she relaxed and sighed, "Misaki-san. Please don't do that again."

"Sorry," Misaki said, speaking in a low voice. "So you think they're up to something, too, huh?"

Nemuru nodded. "You've also had your suspicions?"

"Yes," Misaki said. She put her hands on Nemuru's shoulders and drew her a few steps back. "But I think we should get going now and deal with this later. If we hang around any longer, we'll get caught."

Nemuru nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

She and Misaki turned back. As they walked away, Sakaki slowly opened the door to the orthopedics department and smirked.

"Kushinada," he whispered, watching the two females leave with glee. "You have no idea how much _trouble_ you're in right now."


	17. Unwritten

"You _saw_ something?" Isuzu said, taking a large scoop of pistachio ice cream. "You know what they're up to?"

The four friends were having an afternoon snack at the Jouga Central Market, next to the ice cream stand (which was having one last sale before closing up for the season). Nemuru was explaining to them what had happened last night, but she kept her speculative theories to herself, lest someone nearby be watching them.

"I can't say anything just yet," Nemuru said. She scooped up a dainty bite of her sundae. "But I do believe I'll now need your help."

"And what can we do?" Kaname asked. She took a sip of her root beer float and said, "You're done watching over the meetings next week, right? Where do you go from there?"

"I _am_ still allowed to stop by for the occasional meeting or two," Nemuru said. She stirred her spoon around the chocolate syrup. "There's a fundraising ball coming up on the seventeenth, and you're all invited to come."

"Oh yeah, I think I remember mom saying something about that," Hiroshi said. He adjusted his glasses, which were sliding down his nose. "She said Mana and I were welcome to come, but she also wondered if we would be bored."

"But there's _nothing_ boring about helping our good friend out!" Isuzu insisted. She jumped up and down in her chair. "So we can go!? What do we wear!? What do we say!? What do we do!?"

Nemuru lowered her eyes. "Tsumuhana-san, please calm down."

"Oh, uh, sorry," Isuzu laughed as she slid down in her chair, ignoring the stares of other nearby shoppers. "But anyway, would we even be _allowed_ to come?"

"There isn't a rule that says I can't bring a few friends along," Nemuru said. "However, if Tatsuya-san's intentions aren't the best, you might want to be careful. Sakaki-san will be there, too, and I can't guarantee how _he_ will act."

Hiroshi, Isuzu, and Kaname exchanged a tight glance. "What is it?" Nemuru asked.

Kaname hesitated. "Nemuru-chan," she said slowly, "we've talked a lot about what Sakaki-san has said or done at the meetings…but I don't recall you ever talking about him personally. As in, how _you_ feel about him."

Nemuru stiffened. "Well, I was caught off-guard when I found out he was hired, and…"

"Beyond that," Kaname leaned forward. "Is there anything you want to say about him? Anything you feel beyond just discussing him as someone you see at work?"

Nemuru shared a look with Hiroshi. She had told him about what had happened with Mieko shortly before the incident at the Hassaku Festival, but it wasn't exactly an 'amusing' anecdote she enjoyed bringing up.

"Why do you want to know?" Nemuru asked.

"Because…how do I put this…" Kaname struggled to find the right words. "The two of you have…_history._ I don't know _all_ the details. I only know some small bits I heard from Hakase-kun and Suzu-chan. There was some kind of incident with his girlfriend or fiancée…?"

Nemuru dug her fingernails into her palms. "Yes, there was. She became a fallen one, and had to be executed. She was the first person I ever had to kill. But that's all in the past."

"Obviously, it isn't for _him,"_ Kaname said, twirling a braid. "How do you feel about that?"

Nemuru's eyes wandered around the table. "It's a shame," she said. "But there's nothing I can do about it. He'd never accept an apology from me, and even if he did, it wouldn't change anything. His fiancée would still be dead. Nor would it change the fact that he still—" She stopped suddenly. "Well. You know…at the Hassaku Festival...amidst other things…"

"He seems happier now, though, with Kaori-san," Hiroshi pointed out. He laughed nervously, "Really, _really_ happy, ahahaha…" He tugged at the collar of his shirt.

"Kuzumi-kun?" Nemuru frowned. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

Hiroshi bit his bottom lip. "Let's just say…I have reason to suspect things between him and Kaori-san are going pretty well…"

"Now that you mention it, he _has_ been coming to meetings in a rather good mood," Nemuru said thoughtfully. "I suppose his relationship with Mana-san might have something to do with it. But it's not proper of us to speculate what they might or might not be doing. Still, I have to wonder if she played a role in his decision to work with Tatsuya-san—assuming, it's not _for_ Tatsuya-san."

"When Mana said he was upset the day we learned about Kaori-san's condition," the corners of Hiroshi's lips turned down, "she was telling the truth. But he wasn't just 'upset'; he was screaming, crying, begging…well, not at the same time, but…you get the idea."

Nemuru closed her eyes. "Perhaps," she said slowly, "Tatsuya-san might have known about her condition, or maybe he approached Sakaki-san sometime _after_ he found out…" She opened her eyes. "But what could he have offered? There's no guarantee the surgery will cure her condition, or undo whatever it's already done to her body."

"Anyway," Kaname took a long sip before saying, "back to what I was talking about: Is there _really_ nothing else you can say about him right now? Or how you feel about him?"

"Kana-chan, I don't think there's anything else _to_ say!" Isuzu piped up. "He's a jerk! Plain and simple! He should be locked up and left to rot in a prison cell and then have his body thrown into a pit of hungry lions!"

Nemuru blinked. "An amusing metaphor, Tsumuhana-san," she said. "But Asagiri-san was asking _me_ the question. And no, my feelings aren't quite as violent as yours. But I can't put them in straightforward terms, either. Just to appease you, Asagiri-san, I will say that during the first few weeks of my attending meetings, he was very annoying. And now, he's less annoying, but still troubling—and that's all related to what we just discussed."

"But _still_ nothing on making you want to die?" Isuzu asked, slapping her hands on the table. "What is he even _planning?_ Doesn't that drive you _crazy—_not _knowing_ anything?"

"Ah, but we might find out something at the fundraiser ball," Nemuru said. "So now, let us discuss what to do on that night…"

* * *

Elsewhere, Mana was having her violin lessons with Kaori within her (Kaori's) living room. They were taking a break and having tea, but Kaori could tell something was on Mana's mind. Her bow kept sliding off the strings, and she was gripping the violin especially tightly.

"Are you all right, Mana-chan?" Kaori asked as she served a cup of hot tea. "You seem distracted today."

"I guess," Mana said slowly. "I'm just wondering what's going on with you. You never seem to want to talk about anything. But when you do, it's about the weather, or some other boring stuff like that. How come?" She lowered her eyes. "Does it have something to do with…him?"

Kaori sighed and shook her head. "Oh, Mana-chan, you are still young. Enjoy your carefree years while you still can."

"But what would you have to be worried about, huh?" Mana asked, leaning forward in her chair. "I thought you two liked each other?"

"Oh, we do, very much," Kaori nodded. "But I'm also wondering where things are going from here. It's not so simple as it would be with anyone else." She smiled. "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! Your mother might have already told you this, but on my birthday, he's taking me to the fundraising ball. He said it would be my special present."

"Eh?! That's your birthday?" Mana said. "Congratulations! Should I get you anything?"

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Kaori assured her. "But thank you for asking, Mana-chan." She mused, "I wonder if he's still at work right now? He said he might come home an hour or two late…"

* * *

Sakaki stood outside the apartment block. If one were to ask his opinion of how the block looked, he would say it wasn't as ugly as most concrete buildings—it was more comfortable than the one he had started out in—but it was still very 'blech'. It was like a spoonful of broth without ingredients or salt. Either way, his opinion about the block didn't matter. What mattered was that one of the residents inside it might or might not still hold on to something he was looking for.

But how to approach them?

Just as he was considering turning back, he heard a familiar voice chirp, "Ah! Junichi!"

Sakaki turned. Sachiko was slowly walking up the steps, using one hand to cling to the stair railing. She smiled and said, "I was just out for a short walk. What are you doing around here?"

Sakaki wondered how to put this. "Well…I've been thinking about my relationship with Kaori lately. And…" He paused. "When you moved here…how much did you pack?"

"What do you mean?" Sachiko reached the top step.

"Father's ring," Sakaki began, but he didn't need to continue; Sachiko gasped and walked over to him with a sharp step. "Junichi! Are you sure it isn't too soon…?"

"No, it's never too soon," Sakaki shook his head. "If anything, it should be done as soon as possible. Kaori and I were talking one night, and I realized how much we need to cherish the time we have left together, and…"

"I see," Sachiko nodded. "But are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Sakaki said. "And before you say anything, yes, I did know Mieko for much longer than a few months before proposing to her, but I was just a child back then. I didn't realize the possibility that our days of happiness could come to a cruel end so suddenly…" He clenched his fists.

Sachiko lay a hand on one of the fists. "Junichi," she said, "I just want to be sure you're doing this for you and _Kaori,_ not for you and _Mieko._ As said, I'm certain you do love Kaori for Kaori, but that doesn't mean you won't conflate the two in your mind."

Sakaki stiffened. "Yeah, I…I've done that in the past," he admitted. "But I'm over that now."

"I suppose I could give you the ring for now," Sachiko sighed. "But don't propose to her just _yet._ Wait another few weeks and think your feelings through. If the circumstances were different, I'd tell you to go for it. But given what's happened, and how quickly your relationship is moving, well, I have reasons to be wary."

"Oh, you won't need to worry about that," Sakaki said as the two headed for inside the complex. "I think I know just the right occasion…"

* * *

Tatsuya took a long sip of tea as he sat in the living room of his apartment. It burned his tongue. Mori was sitting in a chair across the room, having a cup of coffee. Boxes lay around half-unpacked and books were strewn across the floor. It wasn't an environment Tatsuya _liked,_ but given how many hours he had to put in to this project, it wasn't like he had the time or energy (after getting home) to organize everything.

Besides, he had to be ready in case something unexpected happened…

"It's my understanding that Sakaki-san told you that you were seen by Kushinada?" Tatsuya asked.

Mori nodded. "Yes, that's right. Or rather, Kushinada _and_ Misaki-san. They'd been following you. According to him, they turned and left, but were still suspicious of us."

"I see, I see," Tatsuya murmured. "And he expects _us_ to do something? If Kushinada feels the need to ask, we could just easily claim they're for an infection resulting from an untreated injury. No, I think he's just looking for another opportunity to hit her where it hurts." He sighed and shook his head. "I have no doubts that I chose well, but sometimes, I feel like I'm dealing with a small child impatient for his candy."

"Perhaps _I _could do something?" Mori suggested. "I could have a talk with Sakaki-san, perhaps at the ball, and explain why he has to wait? Or perhaps I could humour him for a bit and pretend to give Kushinada a good, strong lecture?"

"On the contrary," Tatsuya's eyes flashed, "you could praise her for being so diligent. Tell her she's doing an excellent job at making certain our priorities are top notch."

"Eh…come again?" Mori blinked.

"Slow as molasses, that one," Tatsuya muttered. He said a bit louder, "If we chastise Kushinada and tell her not to stick her nose where it doesn't belong, that could only confirm her suspicions. But if we pretend she was doing something good, and encourage her to ask us for permission the next time she wants to check on us, then her fears might be temporarily softened. She'll eventually try to investigate us again, but if nothing else, it might put her at ease for a little while. And should she keep investigating…I have my ways." He said the last part with a thin, playful smile.

Mori took an extra spoonful of sugar and dumped it in his coffee. He stirred it around with a loud clanging and said, "Tatsuya-san…was there a particular reason you chose the seventeenth for the date of the ball? I was going through Kaori Mana's medical files recently, and I noticed her birthday was on that date. A coincidence, or…?"

Tatsuya kept smiling. "What do you think?" He chuckled, "Never let it be said that I never enjoyed a good matchmaking."

"But _why?"_ Mori burst out. "What's the _point?_ Why should his love life interest you so much? What does he even _see_ in her?" he muttered to himself.

"If you so wish to know, then I will tell you," Tatsuya said. He had now emptied his cup. He carefully laid it on a wooden coaster on the table. "The closer they grow, the more Sakaki's devotion to our plan will become. Knowing him, he will likely bring Kaori to the ball as a special birthday treat. And from there, it can only go uphill."

"Don't you mean 'downhill'?" Mori asked.

"Depends on who's looking at it from what perspective, I suppose," Tatsuya sighed. He held up his cup. "Need any more coffee?"


	18. Razzle Dazzle

In the late afternoon of December seventeenth, Kaori was standing in the bathroom applying pale pink lipstick. She puckered her lips together and smiled at her reflection. Tonight, she had lightly curled her hair, leaving it wavy and bouncy down her shoulders and back, her bangs brushed off to the side. She wore a gold chain necklace that had once belonged to her grandmother. Her cheeks and eyelids, like her lips, were also a pale pink.

Kaori wrinkled her nose and smoothed out blush creases. The last time she had put on makeup for a special occasion, she had just turned sixteen, and had gone out with her grandmother to a restaurant in the Old Town to celebrate her birthday. She hoped she wasn't applying _too_ much makeup.

She smoothed out the front of her sleeveless, light blue, cotton dress. She tightened the yellow sash around her waistline and let out a deep breath. Today, she was twenty-two years old. And for the first time in years, she would be celebrating her birthday with someone else.

The day had gotten off to a good start. She had woken up to the smell of slightly burnt pancakes, went on a small walk through the forest with Sakaki, and practiced the violin. Sakaki had yet to give her an actual present—apart from his attempt at cooking breakfast—but he had promised to give it to her this evening.

_Could it be…? _

Her heart fluttered, but she sighed and said out loud, "No, probably not. It's too soon for that, isn't it?"

She gasped and turned at a knock on the door. "Kaori?" Sakaki said on the other side. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, just give me a minute," Kaori said. She pulled out a tissue from her purse and rubbed her nose.

"You're not getting sick again, are you?" Sakaki asked.

"No, I just put on too much make-up," Kaori sighed, rubbing her nose. She crumpled up the tissue, let out a deep breath, and said, "Now, I'm ready."

* * *

"I feel ridiculous," Nemuru muttered as she pulled her coat around her body tight. "Why did I ever let you talk me into this silly makeover?"

She had arrived an hour early at the center to talk to Isuzu, Kaname, Hiroshi, and Mana in the conference room before the ball began. During that time, Kaname had decided to put Nemuru's hair up in a bun and curl the loose strands, then smother her face with lipstick and foundation. And on top of that, Kaname had insisted she wear a modest yet fashionable long, black dress with a shawl (to be fair, Nemuru admitted, it wasn't as outrageous as what she had expected Kaname to provide). Despite Kaname's insistence that it was all right to indulge in a bit of vanity just for this one night, Nemuru wondered if this was too frivolous for the representative of the Kushinada household.

"I think you look really nice, Nemuru-san," Hiroshi said as he adjusted the bowtie on his tux. "Better than _me,_ anyway. Ugh!"

"And what about _me?"_ Isuzu insisted. "Don't _I_ look pretty, too, Hiro-kun?" She twirled around in her black-and-white suit. Hiroshi had to admit the look worked better on Isuzu than it did on him.

"You always look nice, Isuzu-chan," Hiroshi assured her. "But anyway, what about our plans for tonight?"

Nemuru gripped the edge of the table and stood up straight. "Nothing's changed since we last laid them out," she said, "except for one detail: I will probably have to spend most of the evening with Tatsuya-san and Sakaki-san to deflect suspicion."

"You have our sympathies, Nemuru-chan," Kaname said as she ran her hands across her stiff up-do. "We'll be there with you in spirit. Are you sure you don't want one of us to stick around?" She straightened the sleeves of her glittering blue sweater dress.

"For certain, it would look suspicious if you all left at once," Nemuru said. "I'll be fine as long as someone's there in the room, just for moral support." She wrapped a loose, mousse-y lock around her finger. "Asagiri-san, are you sure the rest of it shouldn't go up?"

"Well, maybe just a few more locks," Kaname said, walking over to Nemuru. "Just relax and enjoy the night. We'll be right behind you every step of the way."

* * *

Tonight, Misaki was in charge of collecting donations at the doors, so she couldn't be with the others as much as she would've liked, leaving the five friends (Mana arrived with Misaki) amongst themselves to debate and scheme.

The ball itself was held in the conference room, which had been re-arranged into a miniature ballroom. Soft, classical music played on a tape recorder on the table. Tatsuya had admitted it wasn't very fancy, but it was still practical in that it helped save the company enough money so that it could still go towards Project Hassaku's greater goals—which was the purpose of this event to begin with.

"Psst! Hiro-kun!" Isuzu hissed as she hung around the punchbowl next to Hiroshi. "It's time to do the hokey pokey!"

Hiroshi blinked. _"Huh?"_

Isuzu frowned and stomped a foot. "It's our code!" she hissed. "Remember?"

"But I thought Nemuru-san shot it down and said it was too ridiculous?" Hiroshi said. Now, he was beginning to vaguely remember Isuzu's suggestion for code names, which the group had discussed the other day. Upon hearing these suggestions, Nemuru had sighed and rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Well, she didn't suggest anything else, did she?" Isuzu pointed out, poking Hiroshi in the arm. "Now do you remember what all that means?"

"Um…" Hiroshi frowned. "What _is_ the hokey—"

Isuzu dragged Hiroshi further away from the crowd and whispered, "It's time to 'go to the bathroom'. Nemuru-chan just told me that Sakaki-san is almost here, so you have to go now and start exploring before he spots you!"

"_Ah,"_ Hiroshi said. He laughed and rubbed his neck. "Sorry. 'Go to the bathroom' is easier to understand than—"

"So _get going!"_ Isuzu urged, pushing Hiroshi out of the conference room. She sighed and muttered, "Boy oh boy, Hiro-kun, we're gonna have to brush up on that code again…"

Just then, Isuzu heard the door open. She snapped up. Sakaki and Kaori had just arrived arm-in-arm, she with her usual smile, he looking quite solemn. At the same time, Nemuru walked over to the couple and bowed.

"Good evening," she said.

"Good evening to you, too, Kushinada-san," Kaori said. "My, my, you look very mature tonight."

"Ah, thank you very much," Nemuru said, lightly shaking Kaori's hand. "I thought this style might be too frivolous."

"Oh, nonsense, I think you look just _lovely,"_ Kaori insisted.

Nemuru tried to meet Sakaki's eyes, but he quickly looked away. "Good evening," he said stiffly. He returned the bow, then let go of Kaori's arm and scuttled over to the table.

"Please excuse him," Kaori sighed. She shook her head. "I'll go give him a good talking-to if you like."

"Thank you, but I can handle Sakaki-san by myself," Nemuru assured her.

Just then, Tatsuya clapped his hands and announced, "May I have your attention please?"

Nemuru turned, wondering what Tatsuya had in store now.

"Tonight," he said, "marks a special occasion. Tonight, this occasion symbolizes the bonds between Project Hassaku and the people of Jougamachi. And let us officially start it with a dance."

He glanced over at Sakaki and added, "A dance…between my assistant and the representative of the Kushinada household."

A wave of gasps spread across the crowd. Sakaki narrowed his eyes and said, "What."

"A dance," Tatsuya walked up to his assistant with his arms spread out, "between you and Nemuru Kushinada. It will symbolize the reconciliation of the old traditions with the new on one level. And on another, it will also symbolize the willingness to let bygones be bygones for the sake of our future."

"Ah…" Nemuru's face reddened. "Tatsuya-san, are you sure this is appropriate?"

"Of course!" Tatsuya nodded fervently. He gestured. "Come on, come."

Nemuru drew a deep breath and walked over to Sakaki. From the look on his face, she could tell, this wasn't a plan _he_ had been let in on, nor was it one he was on board with.

"Tatsuya-san, what is the meaning of this?" Sakaki hissed.

"Now, now, it will only be one dance, and that is all," Tatsuya assured him in the tone of a parent trying to persuade their child to go to the dentist. "Afterwards, the two of you may part ways for the rest of the evening. Kushinada-san will start. Kushinada-san?"

Nemuru looked over her shoulder. Isuzu was giving her a sympathetic smile and two thumbs up. Nemuru turned back to the two men and said, "Understood." She stretched out a hand. "Sakaki-san, would you do the honours?"

Sakaki looked over at Kaori. She hid a small smile and nodded. He sighed and took her hand in his. "Fine."

The classical orchestra on the tape swelled as the two took their first step onto the floor. Immediately, everyone stepped back and gave them enough room to dance to an upbeat waltz. Sakaki clenched her hands, leaned over, and whispered:

"Enjoying yourself, Kushinada?"

"Hardly." Nemuru sidestepped. "And you?"

"The feeling's mutual," Sakaki replied briskly. The two spun on the dance floor, never letting go of each other's hands, nor did they break eye contact.

"How many of your friends are here this evening?" Sakaki asked. His hands slid to her wrists.

"Why do you ask?" Nemuru asked. She moved her feet in time with the music, which was now slowing down.

"Is it a crime to make small talk?" Sakaki sneered.

"You might want to watch your tone," Nemuru said. "Kaori-san is right over there." She gestured to across the room, where Kaori was barely concealing a laugh.

"At least she can find _something_ funny about the situation," Sakaki sighed.

"Well, when you think about it, this _is_ rather awkward, isn't it?" Nemuru pointed out.

Sakaki slipped a hand around her back and pulled her in closer. "You're up to something tonight, aren't you?"

"And so are you," Nemuru replied. "Would you say that makes us even?" She lowered her voice. "If this is about your revenge…"

"Maybe it is, on a more petty scale," Sakaki said. "Or maybe it's unrelated and you're just jumping to conclusions." He suddenly stopped and dipped her. She gasped and met his eyes. He smirked and brought her back up.

"What do you think?"

The song died out, and the two parted. Nemuru coolly replied, "I think I'm going to find that out before the year is over."

* * *

"Good evening, Hakase-kun!" Kaname greeted Hiroshi outside the bathrooms.

"Good evening, Kaname-san," Hiroshi replied with a bow. He stepped in closer and whispered, "Nothing from my end, how about you?"

Kaname shook her head. "Nothing."

Hiroshi looked over his shoulder. "Maybe we should call it a night."

"No, we should try harder!" Kaname insisted. "We shouldn't have expected them to leave the answer out in plain sight, right?"

"I guess not, but you'd think they'd have _something_ suspicious _somewhere,"_ Hiroshi said, shrugging. "Right now, I just feel like I'm violating their privacy."

Kaname stroked her chin. "Hakase-kun….it wouldn't be violating anyone's privacy if we were to go to the bathroom and…_accidentally_ overhear anything, would it?"

"I guess not," Hiroshi said slowly. He glanced at the bathroom doors. "You don't think…?"

"Why not?" Kaname asked, raising her eyebrows. "You'd be surprised at what you can hear in a public bathroom. But…let's make this a little more 'interesting'."

"Interesting…how?" Hiroshi asked. Kaname had that look in her eyes again—the one that gave Hiroshi a rising impulse to turn and run as far as he could in the other direction.

Kaname nudged him towards the women's bathroom. "K—Kaname-san!" Hiroshi gasped. "What are you-!?"

"No one's going to _see _us," Kaname whispered. "We just need to stand inside the cubicles for a while, that's all. We'll just crouch on the toilet."

"But wouldn't that be kind of…well…unsanitary?" Hiroshi asked.

"There are probably more germs on the door than the seats," Kaname assured him. She flashed him a Cheshire grin. "It'll be a fun adventure!"

* * *

Kaname was forced to eat her words ten minutes later as she crouched awkwardly on a toilet seat lid, trying not to let the hem of her dress touch the seat or the floor, gritting her teeth as her heels dug into her toes. So far, no one had come into the bathroom. She was just crouching and suffering for nothing.

Kaname craned her head down at her wristwatch. She'd give it another five minutes and then—

Wait. A sound.

It was the door…slowly creaking open…

Footsteps.

Kaname held her breath. What now? Were these men here to relieve nature's call? Or would she finally, finally, find something out tonight?

The two men were chuckling. One of them said:

"Ah, our boss has a real wacky sense of humour, doesn't he, Mori-kun?"

The other scoffed, "Indeed, but I still don't understand what the _purpose_ of that little dance served. 'Symbolizing the reconciliation of the old traditions with the new' my _ass._"

"Perhaps he just enjoys vexing Sakaki-san's mind from time to time. It wouldn't be the first time he's done it."

"No, I suppose not…Speaking of which, you don't think Tatsuya-san's actually going to follow through on his promise, do you?"

Kaname's ears perked up. What promise?

"Which one would that be?"

"Oh, he never told you?" Mori laughed in an amused one.

"No, I'm always the last one to hear about _anything_ nowadays," the other man grumbled.

"Oh. Sorry." Mori's tone was half-apologetic, half-mocking. "Would you like me to tell you?"

_Say yes, please say yes…_

"What's the use?" the other man snapped bitterly. "If nobody actually _tells_ me anything, then what's the point?"

Kaname's heart sank. _No, no, keep going, please keep going…_

"I'm willing to tell you, here and now," Mori's voice grew hushed, his tone sincere. "Tatsuya-san doesn't need to know."

"…All right. What is it?"

Kaname held her breath.

"The truth is…from what Tatsuya-san told me, Sakaki-san never actually _wanted_ the job to begin with. He kept turning down Tatsuya-san's offers until…"

"Yes? Until _what?"_ the other man demanded.

"Until…his lover was diagnosed. You know who I'm talking about, right? The woman who plays the violin? She has that aging sickness, and right after Sakaki-san found out she has a few years at most, Tatsuya-san approached him and got him to agree to be his assistant in exchange for placing his lover at the top of the list for the experimental surgery next fall."

Kaname silenced a rising gasp in her throat. This could be promising…

"Now, here's the thing that bothers me," Mori went on, "Tatsuya-san claimed that the surgery might _halt_ her condition even if it doesn't reverse its effects. But wouldn't that be like saying removing a tumor would cure a malignant form of cancer? Or that flushing out the AIDS virus would repair the patient's battered immune system?"

"I understand." The other man chuckled in his throat. "But would Sakaki-san see that?"

"Probably not. From what Tatsuya-san told me, he'd throw himself off a cliff if it would cure his _precious _lover's condition. By the way, that reminds me: Have you finished typing up the report yet?"

"How many times do I have to tell you!? I'll get to it!"

Kaname stifled a groan. She curled up into a ball and waited, with patience and anticipation, for these two men to eventually stop talking and leave. For the time being, however, she suspected she would be here for at least ten more minutes.

In either case, Kaname decided, Nemuru was definitely going to hear about _this_ the first chance she got.


	19. Just Say Yes

A/N: No, this is not the so-bad-it's-good villain song from the equally so-bad-it's-good-but-only-for-the-third-act "The Secret of NIMH 2". It's yet another Snow Patrol song. What can I say? This is the perfect Sakaki/Kaori band. I'll TRY not to use another Snow Patrol song. Hopefully, this one will be the last…at least, for a while.

Also, incoming lemon-lime.

* * *

_Just say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back_

_It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind_

_Only love_

_- "Just Say Yes", Snow Patrol_

* * *

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think it's funny years from now!" Kaori laughed as she and Sakaki walked up the stairwell to the roof.

"Yeah, in the same way I'd find an appendectomy to be hilarious," Sakaki said dryly.

"I do have to wonder, though, what was going through Tatsuya-san's mind," Kaori said. She ran a hand across the chipped paint. "Perhaps he just wanted to humour you tonight."

"He's got a funny way of showing it," Sakaki said. As the two approached the top, he slipped his hand into Kaori's, hoping she couldn't feel his sweaty palms. This was it. As soon as they opened that door and stepped out onto the roof, there was no turning back.

What if this was a mistake? What if this was too soon?

Too late to have any doubts _now…_

Sakaki looked over his shoulder. "What is it?" Kaori asked.

"Nothing," Sakaki muttered. "I thought I heard some kind of noise…it's nothing."

Now, they stood at the door. Sakaki pushed it open and led Kaori outside. The night air was cool but not chilly. Snowflakes decorated the evening sky.

"It's snowing," Kaori mused. "I hope we get a snowy winter this year."

"Oh?" Sakaki said. "Does it snow a lot in Jouga during the winter?"

"Some years yes, others no," Kaori said. "Do you like the snow?"

Sakaki clenched her hand. It had also been snowing like this on the night he first proposed to Mieko…five years ago…

"Junichi-kun…?"

"I can't do this anymore," Sakaki breathed.

"Huh?" Kaori frowned. "What are you saying?"

Sakaki closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it…the moment of truth…

Would she _accept_ his proposal? What if she laughed at him, told him it was too soon, cried and ran away?

He opened his eyes. Too late for doubts…too late to turn back…

"It's time I gave you your present," Sakaki said.

"My…present…?" Kaori whispered.

Sakaki let go of Kaori's hand and got down on one knee. She gasped, but he forced the words out: "Kaori, for the past few months, you have given me a reason to wake up and get out of bed every morning. For the first time in four years, I feel truly happy," he choked. He gulped and went on: "I know you might not be able to bear my child, but I don't care. I know you only have a few years left, but that doesn't matter. I'd rather only spend a few years with you than a lifetime without you."

The wind nipped the back of his neck and gripped his arms. "Kaori…for four years, I was a living corpse. But you breathed life into me and…and…" He laughed, "Sorry, this is getting corny, isn't it? Anyway…your present…"

He fumbled for the ring in his pocket, but only got a few, crumpled-up tissues. Kaori was standing there, her eyes wide and shining, her lips silently forming "Junichi-kun…"

_Damn it, not now!...A-ha!_

His fingers brushed across the cold brass. He lifted it up slowly between his fingers. Kaori gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.

"Kaori," Sakaki said, his heart demanding to be let out of his rib cage, "will you marry me?"

A small cry escaped Kaori's throat.

"Oh, and…happy birthday," Sakaki laughed nervously.

Kaori stood above him, shedding tears, her face brighter than the flakes around them. For many seconds, she didn't move. She was a statue in a snowy garden. Sakaki wondered if he had overstepped his boundaries again, and if he had, if she would ever forgive him for _this_ misstep. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he should apologize and—

Kaori bent down, and reached for the ring. Now, Sakaki could see into her eyes better. These weren't tears of shame or anger—these were tears of _joy._

She took the ring from his fingers and slipped it over her left ring finger.

"S, so, that's a yes, then?" Sakaki stammered.

"_Yes!"_ Kaori cried out. She wrapped her arms around him and nearly bowled the two of them over, whispering "Yes" over and over. Sakaki squeezed her tight, unable to stop his own tears from overflowing. Like Kaori, he was shedding tears of joy, joy for himself and Kaori.

He had his second chance for happiness. And nothing would destroy that now.

* * *

Nemuru stood on the sidewalk outside the center and let out a cloudy breath. The dance would still go on for another few hours, but she had to return home to look after her father, and rest up for school tomorrow. Hiroshi and Mana would stay until their mother left. She had yet to meet up with Isuzu and Kaname, who were elsewhere in the building.

What would this investigating amount to? Would her suspicions prove to be justified, or paranoia?

"Nemuru-san."

Nemuru turned. Hiroshi was standing beside her with a small smile. "Are you going home now?"

"Not yet," Nemuru said. "I thought I'd step outside for a moment." She paused. "It's cold out tonight. I should've brought a jacket."

"You can borrow mine," Hiroshi offered. He began to unzip his jacket.

"No, that'll be okay," Nemuru said. "It wouldn't be proper."

"Why not?" Hiroshi asked. "It's just between two friends."

"I meant," Nemuru lowered her voice, "as between a Kamibito and an Ochibito."

"Oh," Hiroshi said. "Sorry." He paused. "Nemuru-san…where do you see 'us' right now?"

"What do you mean?" Nemuru took a step closer to him.

"I mean…do you see us as friends?" Hiroshi blushed.

"Ah…I suppose," Nemuru said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," Hiroshi said, shuffling his feet. "It's just—ah!" He slipped on an icy patch and began to fall.

"Kuzumi-kun!" Nemuru reached out and caught him in her arms. Their eyes locked as a gust of wind and snow blew right by them. Suddenly, it was as though time had stopped, and all that existed was each other. Nemuru's face flushed in spite of the cold as she realized this…_feeling._ A few months ago, she had viewed Hiroshi's existence as an annoyance. She had wished he never moved to Jougamachi.

But now, she couldn't imagine life in Jougamachi without him. Every single feature he possessed—his bright, curious eyes, his bangs clinging to his forehead, his snow-stained glasses—made him so much…brighter.

"Kuzumi…kun…" Nemuru clutched his arms tightly and forced out: "Are…are you okay?"

Hiroshi nodded. "Y, yeah. Thanks." Then, "Um…sorry if I forgot to tell you this earlier, but…you looked pretty tonight, Nemuru-san."

Nemuru's face flushed hotter. "Th, thank you," she stammered.

"Maybe I should try standing up on my own now," Hiroshi suggested, his feet awkwardly shuffling beneath him. "Or maybe you could help."

Nemuru nodded. She slid her hands up his soft fleece jacket, up his bony wrists, and into his warm hands. She clutched them as he slowly stood to his feet.

"I think you can let go now," Hiroshi said awkwardly. "Unless you don't want to."

"No, you're right, I should," Nemuru said quickly, dropping his hands as if they were two, hot potatoes. "I should go now. See you tomorrow."

She turned and marched down the street, holding her head high, wondering what had just happened between them.

* * *

"Excellent," Tatsuya muttered as Mori gave him the full report. The ball had long ended, and now it was just the two men who stayed behind to clean up. "And did this Asagiri girl know you could smell her?"

"If she did, I don't think it occurred to her right then," Mori said as he stacked up the unused paper cups. "She was probably so concerned about finding something for Kushinada-san it just didn't occur to her. But how do you know she'll tell Kushinada-san everything? Or that Kushinada-san will actually _do_ something about it?"

Tatsuya wiped a coffee mug with a handkerchief. "Oh, she will."

"But technically, we're not doing anything _wrong,"_ Mori pointed out. "All she's really found out is Sakaki-san's reason for getting on-board with us."

"Actually," Tatsuya put the mug down with a resounding 'thump', "some of my researchers, including Misaki Kuzumi, have hypothesized that the surgery might be riskier on individuals with the aging sickness. They'd still have to do a bit more in-depth research, of course, but if Misaki Kuzumi's son were to ask her about it, she might share this bit of information with him. And if he were to then relay it back to Kushinada-san, and she decided to do something about it…"

"So…it's only a matter of days, then…" Mori's voice faded.

Tatsuya nodded. "Patience, Mori-kun. Patience."

* * *

"How was the ball?" was Juuzou's first question when Nemuru stopped by his room.

"It was all right," Nemuru said. She reached for the bobby pins in her hair. "I'm still suspicious about Tatsuya-san, but so far he's done nothing out of the ordinary."

"Good." Juuzou frowned and sniffed. "Nemuru...I can smell the "mitsu" on you."

Nemuru froze. "Well, Kuzumi-kun tripped and I caught him."

"I see." Juuzou muttered this phrase in a way that caught Nemuru off-guard.

"Father…?"

"You're not developing feelings for this boy, are you?" Juuzou's voice was low but firm.

"I…well…" Nemuru wasn't sure how to answer. She didn't want to lie to her father, and she knew these budding feelings had a much stronger connotation than friendship. Yet she also didn't know how to quite explain it.

"Nemuru." Juuzou sat up and looked her in the eye. "Your mother and I shared a similar history to you and that Kuzumi boy. There were many times where I doubted my own feelings for her, whether I was in love with Rikako, or her smell. What do you suppose attracts you to this boy?"

Nemuru said slowly, "Well…we've grown closer over the past few months. We started out as good friends, and so far that's all we are, relationship wise. But recently, I've started viewing him in a different light. It might be his modesty, or his devotion, that I find attractive in him."

"I see," Juuzou said. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Nemuru, you must be careful around this boy. Regardless of how you may feel, the situation is still delicate. Anything could set the Kamibito and the Ochibito off again. Take time to think about your feelings, and don't give in to your first desires."

Nemuru nodded. "Understood. Good night, father."

* * *

Sakaki and Kaori had went home a few hours earlier, and spent this time listening to old violin records in Kaori's bedroom, sitting together on the bed. They barely spoke, and just sat and smiled, enjoying each other's company.

At thirty minutes past midnight, Kaori murmured:

"I think we should go to bed now."

Sakaki wrapped an arm around her waist. "Ah, and what do you mean by _that?"_

Kaori gave him a coy smile. "What do you _think?"_

"One birthday present is enough," Sakaki nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose and she giggled. "But then again, you can never have too many birthday presents, right?"

"Of course not," Kaori laughed. "And we _did_ just get engaged. We should do something to celebrate it, right?"

Sakaki wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in closer. "Absolutely," he whispered.

* * *

There were so many reasons to be happy this one night, and none of them had fully sunk in up until now, as they made love under the patch of moonlight seeping through the window onto the rose-patterned sheets. After tonight, things would change. They were now on the road to getting married. How could it get better than this?

And as he reached his climax, and she hers, he had to stop to take a few deep breaths, reminding himself that yes, this was real, and yes, they would be getting married.

And there would be absolutely nothing to complicate their relationship as it was. Everything was perfect.


	20. Epiphany

A/N: In this case, "Epiphany" refers to the Sweeney Todd musical number.

* * *

Kaname didn't get a chance to tell Nemuru what she had heard until the next day in the classroom at lunch.

"It all makes sense now." Nemuru set down her chopsticks. "I should've thought of it sooner. Kaori Mana lies at the heart of Sakaki-san's motivation."

"So what now?" Hiroshi asked. "He's not technically doing anything _wrong,_ is he?"

"No, I suppose not," Nemuru said. She paused. "However…Tatsuya-san must've had some ulterior motive in hiring this man. He found Sakaki-san's weakness, and exploited it. If his intentions were pure, I doubt he'd have to stoop to appealing to the pains of his heart. No, men who use that sort of method typically have their own interests put first. It is not Sakaki-san whom we should be focusing on now, but Tatsuya-san. Kuzumi-kun, did your mother mention anything about her job, or research, to you recently?"

"Yeah, come to think of it," Hiroshi said, wrinkling up his nose, "I remember mom saying that she doubted the surgery would do much for Kaori-san's condition. She said that she and the team have hypothesized that it might actually _harm_ Kaori-san rather than_ help_ her. They're still looking further into it, but yeah, Sakaki-san might be jumping the gun a bit. Wouldn't it be smarter to wait until he knew the full effects of the surgery?"

"You underestimate a man in love, Hakase-kun," Kaname said, stretching her legs across the desk while eating her fruit salad. "I'm sure if something were to happen to the woman you love, you'd do anything for her, wouldn't you? Even sell your soul to the devil?"

"Ah, don't be _that_ dramatic, aha…" Hiroshi laughed. He and Nemuru briefly exchanged a glance, but looked away. Isuzu frowned. What did this glance mean? It couldn't be…

"If that's the case," Nemuru said, "then it might be wiser to temporarily place Kaori-san off the waiting list until we know the effects the surgery could have on someone in her condition."

Kaname's brows knitted together. "Are you going to tell Sakaki-san about this?"

Nemuru hesitated. "For certain, I can't tell him I found out his true reasons for signing up—I could say I figured it out, but not much more than that. I might even warn him about the surgery and ask if Tatsuya-san alerted him. However…"

"…he might not listen to you," Isuzu finished. "What if you told Tatsuya-san first and then got him to tell Sakaki-san? Maybe he'd hear it better from another person."

"Even so," Nemuru said, "there's no guarantee Tatsuya-san will tell him directly, even under my orders. He might manipulate some details and turn Sakaki-san even further against me. And if I told him I was going to take Kaori-san off the list, he'd try to do everything in his power to stop me. So…" She sighed. "I should get this over with."

Nemuru closed up her bento box. "I'll go speak with the principal and see if I can get let out early," she said. "Under the circumstances, he might understand."

* * *

"The yellow folders go here…the pink folders go there…" Sakaki muttered to himself in a sing-song tone. He was in his and Tatsuya's office putting away folders. The room was rather cramped, with only enough room for one small desk, two chairs, and one filing cabinet. The yellow paint was chipped, and the single lightbulb hanging above the desk was growing dim. Despite these circumstances, Sakaki felt like the richest man in the world.

He beamed as he thought back to last night. When he closed his eyes, he could smell Kaori's vanilla scent, feel her warm flesh pressed against his, hear her whisper "I love you". How could he have ever thought he'd need something so silly like 'revenge'? All he really needed was to spend his remaining years with Kaori in peace, before the trial. And even if he had to go away for a few years, it wouldn't matter because, after the successful surgery, Kaori would be waiting for his release, and as soon as he was released, they would fly to Europe. And then the States. And then Canada. And then—

A rhythmic knock on the door startled him. He called out, "Who is it?" in a semi-irritated voice.

"It's me."

The voice was soft and serious—it was _her._

Sakaki sighed, "Come in." As the door opened, he stood up and walked over to the desk. He leaned against the mahogany wood while Nemuru stood in the doorway, still wearing her school uniform.

"Oh?" Sakaki said. "You're not in school?"

"I got special permission to leave," Nemuru said. "I wanted to talk to you."

"What about?" Sakaki said. He smirked. "Are you here to admit defeat?"

Nemuru stepped in the office and closed the door behind her. She had the same, stoic expression. "No," she said. "I wanted to talk to you about something important."

Sakaki groaned, "If it's about that stupid dance, it wasn't _my_ idea."

"Oh, I figured that out for myself," Nemuru said, stifling a smile. "But it's related to Tatsuya-san." She paused. "And Kaori-san."

…_She knows._

"You know?" Sakaki said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"I know it's your reason for choosing to work for Tatsuya-san," Nemuru said. "I figured it out myself. But what I'd like to know is how much _you_ know about your employer, or the science behind your own research. You don't actually participate in the researching itself, do you? Your job is only to represent the company, and overlook any other details Tatsuya-san may assign to you."

Sakaki gripped the edge of the desk. "What do you mean?"

"Are you aware of the consequences the surgery could have on Kaori-san herself?" Nemuru asked. "Do you really think it will _actually_ cure her? Can you guarantee there will be _no_ resulting complications from the surgery?"

Sakaki folded his arms across his chest. As he lay his hands on top and scoffed, "What are you trying to say?", something caught Nemuru's eye.

It was a small gold band around his left ring finger.

Nemuru took a step back. "Are you and Kaori-san engaged?"

"Why do you want to know?" Sakaki said, keeping his guard up.

"Sakaki-san." Nemuru's tone grew firm. "The research team thinks the surgery might not be safe for Kaori-san."

"Based on _what?"_ Sakaki scoffed.

"Based on their _research,"_ Nemuru said. "They're still looking into it, but for now, do you really think it's safe to sign Kaori-san up for a surgery that might _kill_ her?"

"_It won't."_ Sakaki let go of the desk and walked over to Nemuru. His usual scowl came back, only more intense, uglier. "Where did you get your information from? What makes _them_ so reliable?"

"I heard it directly from someone working on the research team," Nemuru said, keeping her voice calm as she slowly backed up towards the door. "And I spoke to Tatsuya-san a few minutes ago. He confirmed it, apologized for not speaking to the rest of the team about it sooner, and…" She stopped.

"And _what?"_ Sakaki asked through clenched teeth.

Nemuru turned the doorknob. "And he's taken Kaori-san off the list."

Sakaki's mind went numb as Nemuru opened the door and began to step outside his office. Before his eyes, his vision of his and Kaori's future together crumbled. Now, he saw Kaori as an old, dying lady with brittle bones and white hair, lying on her bed struggling for oxygen…

He marched after her and called out, "You just _asked_ and he _obliged_ because of some stupid, unproven hypothesis?"

Nemuru spun around and stopped walking. "I never outright _asked_," she said calmly. "I only mentioned it might be dangerous, and he suggested it might be best to wait until a bit more research is done. This doesn't mean Kaori-san _won't_ get the surgery if it's proven safe. As soon as any and all risks have been cleared, she'll be placed back on the list."

"And you can _guarantee_ that?" Sakaki's voice was dangerously low.

"If you wish, you can speak to Tatsuya-san about it and the work out the finer details," Nemuru said. The longer she stared into his eyes, the more she began to realize this might not have been a good idea after all. The look within them was screaming "Kill her! Kill her!"

"What if it's too late by then?" Sakaki said, shoving his fists into his pockets. "What if she's past being cured by the time she's approved for the surgery?"

"And what if she's past being cured by the time the surgery is officially allowed?" Nemuru asked. Immediately, she realized she had just said the wrong thing.

Sakaki's eyes narrowed and he spat, "It wasn't enough you took away my _first_ love. You're just doing this out of spite, aren't you?"

"Sakaki-san," Nemuru struggled to continue to keep her voice calm, "I'm not trying to make your life, or Kaori-san's life, difficult. I just want you to think about _why_ Tatsuya-san wanted you here, _why_ he chose _you_ out of all men in Jougamachi. Do you really think this surgery could cure Kaori-san? How do you know it will even have any effect on her at all? At best, she can only be treated for her condition. She cannot be cured."

A white-hot rage built up in Sakaki's heart. "You're trying to discourage me, aren't you?" he said, his fury spilling out. "You can't stand the fact that I now have a position of power in Jouga. This is _your_ way of getting revenge."

"No, that's not—"

"You want to take away everyone I love, destroy everything that makes me happy," Sakaki said, unable to stop shaking. "The moment everything in my life finally goes right, _you_ just want to _ruin_ it." His eyebrows relaxed and his lips curved into a smirk. "Not that it would be the _first_ time for you, would it?"

Nemuru flinched. "Sakaki-san…"

"Tatsuya-san warned me this might happen," Sakaki took a step closer towards her. "He told me _you_ would interfere if you knew. Looks like he was right."

"I…"

A black, ugly impulse rose up, and Sakaki acted on it: He leaned in and whispered, "He also told me how much you're like your own uncle."

Nemuru tensed up. "That…that's enough…"

"Tatsuya-san told me how your uncle was a man with some dignity and honour," Sakaki went on. He added, in a quieter tone, "I should know; I was there when I plunged the knife into his gut."

Nemuru was trembling. "Please stop."

"Your uncle held on to his foolish ideals to the very end," Sakaki went on, a small voice in his head pushing him to keep going until she was on the ground in tears. "He was a fool who got himself in too deep."

Nemuru did not know what possessed her. A voice that didn't belong to her screamed _"SHUT UP!"_. A foreign hand reached out and slapped Sakaki sharply across the face.

Then she realized the voice, and the hand, belonged to her. She was shaking too hard to stand up straight. She breathed in and out, and as Sakaki recoiled in her direction, his right cheek bright red, his eyes met hers, and a hot feeling rose in her chest. She was certain it was the same, burning hatred Sakaki must feel when he looked at her.

_I hate him…I hate him…I hate him…_

Then Nemuru felt the eyes of every person passing by in the hallway boring into her. Her hatred dissipated and was replaced by shame. What had she done? She could've controlled herself. She could've walked away. But instead, she had given in to a childish impulse.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Misaki with other researchers. She looked back over at Sakaki, who was hiding his smirk from the others.

"I…I'm sorry," Nemuru muttered, bowing her head. "I don't know what came over me. I'll try to control myself in the future." The back of her neck heated with humiliation. Her stinging palm reminded her of her poor self-control, and she reproached herself further.

"Oh, that's all right," Sakaki said in a tone that would sound genuine to an outsider, but be seen for the false sympathy it was by those who knew what happened. "I'll tell the neighbourhood council and neighbourhood association to go easy on you if this gets brought up. Just be careful next time."

Nemuru bowed her head lower. As if this couldn't get any _more_ humiliating…

A pair of heels clicked towards her. "What happened?" Nemuru looked up into Misaki's inquiring face.

"We exchanged some harsh words," Nemuru quickly said, determined not to let Sakaki rile her up again. "It escalated, and…well…" She cleared her throat, which was hoarse from her scream. "You saw what happened."

Misaki nodded. "I see." She turned to the staring men and women in suits and said, "Move along, there's nothing to see here."

As the group walked away, Nemuru said, "I must get back to school. I need to catch up on my assignments."

"Are you sure?" Misaki asked.

Nemuru nodded.

Misaki looked over at Sakaki and said, "Very well. But if I hear about this again…"

She turned and left, looking over her shoulder as she walked out of sight. Nemuru turned to Sakaki and said, "So…I apologize again for things turning out like this. If Kaori-san had a chance of being cured—"

"She does," Sakaki said tensely, dropping the farce. "Or at least, she did. And now you've ruined it. Just like how you ruined my chance to be happy with Mieko."

Nemuru had long stopped shaking, and lacked the energy to do so again. "Sakaki-san," her voice strained, "if I could've found a way to do things differently, I…" Whatever words she could've said slipped her mind.

"You know what?" Sakaki's voice grew cold. "I don't think you actually _care_ about what happened to Mieko. You're only sorry because one of your victim's loved ones found you out. You only care about making yourself feel better, not about 'helping' anyone."

Nemuru drew in a sharp breath. She blinked and said, her voice heavy, "Is…that all?"

Sakaki said in the same cold tone, "After what you've done, I have nothing more to say to you."

Nemuru stood there for many seconds, long after Sakaki had marched past her, trying very hard to calm herself down. She closed her eyes and took a few, deep breathes. Then, she held her head high and walked briskly, looking for a way out.

* * *

"You don't think we should've gone in after her, do you?" Hiroshi asked as he, Kaname, and Isuzu stood outside the center near the frosty garden.

"Nah, Sakaki-san wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything while at the center," Isuzu said, rolling up a snowball. "He should be more scared of _her!"_

"Ah! Here she comes now!" Kaname said, wiping the snow off her brow. Out came Nemuru, who at first started walking, then ran towards the garden, past the trio. She leaned against the tree and tried to steady her breathing.

"Nemuru-san?" Hiroshi said sharply. He, Isuzu, and Kaname walked over to her. "What happened, Nemuru-chan?" Isuzu asked, frowning.

Nemuru turned to them. Tears ran down her cheeks, and her face was flushed up.

"Did he say something to you?" Kaname asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

Nemuru gulped as though she were trying to keep herself from breaking down sobbing. She could only choke out, "This…this was a mistake. I should've never come here."

* * *

Tatsuya had anticipated the sound of the conference room door slamming open hours ago. And he had foreseen the furious look on Sakaki's face as he stormed in and yelled, _"I knew she'd pull this crap! I knew she'd try something like this!"_

"Calm yourself, Sakaki-san," Tatsuya said, standing up from his chair. "Just tell me what happened—"

Sakaki slammed his fist on the desk hard enough to shake the window pane. "Of all the crap she could've pulled…" he muttered, his face bright red. "Damn it, why didn't I _kill her_ when I had the chance those months ago? I should've just pushed Kuzumi-kun aside. I should've pulled the trigger when I had the chance." He slammed the desk again, with less intensity. "But no." His voice grew dangerously quiet. "She's still here. And she's done her damage."

"Ah," Tatsuya said with a nod. "She told you about our earlier conversation, I take it?"

"You haven't _actually_ taken Kaori off the list, have you?" Sakaki asked, his voice still low but shrill. "You just told her that to get her to leave, right?"

Tatsuya sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sakaki-san, but if I had bluffed, she would've found out eventually. Rest assured, her name will be placed right back at the top of the list the moment our researchers have cleared all risks."

Sakaki barely heard this last part. He could only stand there and mutter, "That bitch…it's like she was born into this world just to make me suffer. I had so many chances to kill her in the past, and I either let them pass or botched them. And I can't kill her _now_ or else it'll look bad for the company, and then what would happen to Kaori?"

"Not if it was in secret," Tatsuya muttered. He muttered this in a voice quiet enough to make it sound like he was talking to himself, but loud enough to perk up Sakaki's ears.

"What did you say?" Sakaki's voice returned to an unnerving calm.

"Oh, nothing, I was just muttering to myself," Tatsuya shrugged. "Now what do you suppose we should talk about this eve—"

He was cut off by Sakaki yanking him forward by the collar. "You said we could do it in secret," he said. "What did you mean by that?" His eyes were bulging, a spark lit within them.

"Oh now, don't get me wrong, I don't think _killing_ her should be the first solution," Tatsuya said quickly. "We could, perhaps, ruin the Kushinada family name, damper her spirits a bit. And then, when the time is right, we can discuss what to do further."

Sakaki's grip loosened. The spark in his eye was now set off. "Yes," he whispered. "Let's do it…"

He let go and slowly backed off. He stroked his chin and muttered, "Yes…and why not?" He suddenly laughed and said, "Oh why the hell _not?_ Who ever said my chance for revenge was gone? It's been there in front of my face the whole time!" He slapped his forehead and laughed, "What a fool I've been!"

His laughter grew louder, startling Tatsuya. Sakaki breathed, "I've been lying to myself this whole time. I've always had the chance to kill her, and I never took it. I've been blindsided. Never again. But this time, this is not revenge for Mieko, or Kaori alone. No…this is for _both_ of them." He laughed again. "How could I have ever allowed myself to think I'd be satisfied living a life of peace? No, it's _vengeance_ I should be after."

He turned to Tatsuya with a teeth-baring grin. "Tatsuya-san," he said, walking up to him, "you yourself have been the victim of the Kushinadas' injustice, haven't you? Oh, don't ask how I know, I just _knew._ Why else would you be on-board with making a fool out of her? Because let's face it: The whole system is _fucked up._ And no one, in any generation of the Kushinada family, ever bothered to change it. And by the time someone _does_ try, it's not out of the kindness of their bleeding heart, but to assure themselves they're good people. And even then, it's too late."

Tatsuya realized now he was shaking, and how much he wanted to get away from that grin. Instead, he smiled and said, "So…we can't launch this plan right now, but instead just…take our time. We'll need to investigate the Kushinada family closet, see what skeletons, if any, lie within. And when we find the right skeleton…"

"Got it," Sakaki said. He took a strand of black hair and brushed it aside. "Whatever comes her way, she'll deserve it." He licked his teeth. "And I'll be more than happy to inflict it onto her."

"Good, good," Tatsuya nodded, backing off. "Now…what do you say we get at it right now? I'll be gone for only a minute, but I'll be right back."

Tatsuya walked past Sakaki and left the room. Sakaki stood, allowing this mixture of anger and elation to overtake him. _This_ was his true reason for living. _This_ was the beginning.

"Just you wait, Mieko," he muttered. "Just you wait, Kaori. I will take my revenge even if I have to dig my own grave do it!"

_To be continued…_

_All it takes is one bad day to drive the sanest man alive to lunacy.  
_

_-"The Killing Joke", the Joker_

* * *

A/N: I was originally going to write the whole thing as one, huge novel-esque story, but then I stepped back and looked at the plot I have planned out. The material is better suited for two or three novels, not just one, or else it would come off as a bit cluttered. So stay tuned for Part II!


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